Welcome to the 2023 issue of Birder’s Guide to Travel!
One of the many great things about birding is that it’s very egalitarian—birds are accessible to almost everyone. That goes for birding travel, too. You seldom have to go far to see something cool that you can’t find at home.
North American Birds: Vol. 74, No. 1
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This Month in Birding – September 2023
It’s the end of the month which means its time for This Month in Birding, and we’ve got a panel of ABA friends and staff here to talk about the beautiful fall season, every birder’s favorite time of year. In this episode Jennie Duberstein, Nick Lund, and Greg Neise join host Nate Swick to talk lost flamingos, eagles, the incredible movement of North American vagrants to the British Isles, and more!
Rare Bird Alert: September 29, 2023
As we head into the last few days of September, American Flamingos (ABA Code 4) continue to be seen in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and on the Ohio River between Kentucky and Indiana. The long-staying Steller's Sea-Eagle (4) is still regular in Newfoundland, as is one of the Large-billed Terns (5) in Florida. Two Baikal Teal (4) read more >>
RBA Archives >>
How to Know the Birds: No. 78, In the Catbird Seat
There’s a saying, “in the catbird seat,” attributed to the 20th-century baseball broadcaster Red Barber, that contains a nice bit of basic bird biology. You see, catbirds like to have the upper hand. Catbirds like to know what’s going on. Catbirds like to be in control of the situation. They’re watching your every move from their redoubt in the thicket, You can’t even see the bird...
No. 24: Birds and Directions
Birders are pretty good at giving directions. Except when we’re not. But mostly we are! Just think of all the times we give exacting, ultraprecise instructions on which branch the Cerulean Warbler is singing from. Or which rock next to 100 other rocks is actually not a rock and is...
September 2023 Photo Quiz
Individual birds clinging to a tree in this bird’s manner are frequently woodpeckers but could be any of a number of species, some of which do not habitually perch in this fashion. The seemingly large patch of white on what might be the wings rules out Brown Creeper and various nuthatch species among the relatively few inveterate bark-clinging ABA-Area bird species. That white patch also rules out various species that I have seen irregularly or rarely engaging in bark-clinging behavior such as flycatchers, vireos, jays, warblers, and even sparrows.
Hurricane Idalia Report 2023
There is no gaudier or more glorious storm bird than American Flamingo, and perhaps no more absurd place for a pair of them to show up than Ohio. After Hurricane Idalia hurtled into the Florida panhandle, gawky hot pink waders began appearing as if in a nationwide yard flocking prank―in Florida, North Carolina, Texas, Ohio, and elsewhere.
The World of Seabirds
Seabird addiction for many of us began with Peter Harrison’s Seabirds: An Identification Guide back in the 1980s and 1990s. This niche has grown in the last 30 years with pelagic trips now available from ports all over the world! As more birders...
ABA Welcomes New Executive Director Wayne Klockner
After an extensive search, ABA is excited to announce the appointment of Wayne Klockner as Executive Director. Wayne joins the ABA with an impressive history of nonprofit leadership experience in the conservation field, including a 38-year career with The Nature Conservancy.
American Birding Association Checklist Committee (CLC) Midterm Report, 2023
We present our 2023 "midterm" announcements based on species additions and ABA code changes since our annual report in December 2022. Additions and code changes will be incorporated into the next ABA Checklist, along with taxonomic and nomenclatural revisions from the 64th Supplement to the American Ornithological Society (AOS) Check-list.
