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The July cover of Birding magazine features a Loggerhead Shrike perched on the end of a twig with a caterpillar in its beak. The shrike is a black and gray bird with a black mask over its eyes.

On the cover: A Loggerhead Shrike grasps its prey. Photo by © Brian E. Small. Open up the magazine to learn more about Loggerhead Shrikes, what they catch, and how they display it.

Shrikes are famously called “butcherbirds” and renowned for their habit of spiking prey onto thorns and barbed wire fences around their territories. But how many of us have taken the time to really examine the prey that has been impaled? By carefully observing the Loggerhead Shrikes of Weld County, Colorado, David Leatherman has made some surprising observations about what they like to catch and display – like maybe even their favorite color.

On the cover, Brian Small’s photograph shows a Loggerhead Shrike after a successful hunt. In the online issue, he shares his journey as a photographer, and how he got this photo.

David Leatherman describes shrikes as the bioblitzers of the avian world, but what about human bioblitzers? July’s Interview is with Jennifer Rycenga, Professor Emerita of Comparative Religious Studies at San José State University, a fan of bioblitzes and citizen science, a pillar of the San Mateo County Bird Alliance – before she moved to New York, and so much more. This wide-ranging interview ranges from birds to lichen, and inclusivity for LGBTQIA birders to Jennifer’s new book.

The Featured Photo, by 2025 Young Birder of the Year Elias Markee-Ratner, documents how New York City’s memorial for the victims of 9/11, the Tribute in Light, impacts birds that are migrating nocturnally through the city. The Featured Photo is joined by an extra article online with some of his stunning digital art, including a depiction of a Yellow-billed Cuckoo caught in the beams of light.

Anyone who has tried to identify Greater & Lesser Scaups has likely heard that looking at their heads is the key. But what about on a bird that’s diving, or in flight, or not in good enough light to see the color of their feathers? Tony Leukering has insights on what to look for, and how to combine characteristics to turn your “Scaup sp.” into a clearer ID.

In a piece that is saddening, but deeply important, Brad Meiklejohn posits that Gray-headed Chickadees may have been extirpated from the ABA Area, and that this extirpation may be due to climate change. Through photographs, stories of searching for the chickadees in their old stomping grounds, and evidence of changing weather & habitats in Alaska, Brad tries to understand their disappearance.

Wayne Klockner has worried about the loss of birds, and birdsong, as so many of us have. In his letter, he talks about the importance of coming together for conservation; and in his own letter, Editor Ted Floyd talks about the importance of coming together for community.

Last, but not least, the Book Reviews take their full form online:

  • Rebecca Minardi reviews “The Backyard Bird Chronicles,” by Amy Tan
  • Jenna Anthony reviews “The Courage of Birds: And the Often Surprising Ways They Survive Winter,” by Pete Dunne and illustrated by David Allen Sibley
  • Emily Simon reviews “How Birds Fly: The Science and Art of Avian Flight,” by Peter Cavanagh

We hope you enjoy this issue – and until we meet again, happy birding.