Birding

A Redpoll perches on a pink plant eating its fuzzy white flowers.
Lumping Redpolls and Splitting Seabirds: This Year's Updates to North American Bird Names
August 07, 2024 — The American Ornithological Society recently announced its checklist changes for 2024—and there’s quite a bit for birders to catch up on.
News
Birders Flock to Great Salt Lake for Annual Birding Festival
June 20, 2024 — How birding festivals bring people together for birds and the habitats on which they depend
Western Water News
A plain brown bird perches on a mossy branch.
Ask Kenn: What's the Secret to Identifying Flycatchers?
March 28, 2024 — Don’t let these difficult birds get you down. Instead, take this sage advice from APP Field Editor and bird expert Kenn Kaufman.
News
Three flamingos wade in shallow blue water among plants.
Flamingo Fever, Limpkins on the Loose, ‘Mega’ Rare Terns—the Biggest Bird Events of 2023
December 19, 2023 — Birding highlights of a remarkable year included three U.S. firsts, a surprisingly happening Midwest, and, of course, flamingos everywhere!
News
Illustration of a crowd of people in a park looking at and photographing an owl in a tree with the Manhattan skyline in the distance.
Social Dilemma: What’s at Stake When We Propel Wild Birds to Stardom?
October 03, 2023 — Manhattan Bird Alert, a New York-based social media account, has fueled the rise of celebrity birds while attracting droves of new birders. But like many a story of unchecked fame, the phenomenon is also a cautionary tale.
News
A crane lowers its neck to forage in shallow water, with the rest of the flock in the background. The sunrise casts an orange glow on the foggy pond.
Don’t Sleep on the Other Sandhill Season
October 02, 2023 — Autumn offers a cornucopia of crane-viewing options.
News
A young girl in a striped dress looks through binoculars amid tall grass and wildflowers, with trees overhead.
A Binocular Guide for Growing Birders
September 29, 2023 — A good pair of bins can wow kids, helping them to delight in birding. These five picks make the grade.
News
Merlin Is Magical, but It Still Makes Mistakes
August 23, 2023 — As the popularity of the app’s Sound ID feature grows, so do concerns about how imperfect artificial intelligence impacts a trove of scientific data.
News
A young woman outside near a river holds a tripod and spotting scope and looks at the camera.
Mya-Rose Craig’s Search for Family Amid an Extraordinary Life of World Birding
August 15, 2023 — Birdgirl, a memoir by the 21-year-old birder and activist, is an affecting story of a daughter seeking her parents as they, together, seek birds.
Books
A rust and gray-colored bird stands on a mossy surface and looks at the camera.
How Training Secretive Birds Became a Boon for Tropical Forest Conservation
August 10, 2023 — When a farming family in Ecuador “befriended” an elusive antpitta, they pioneered a new path for ecotourism.
News