MICHAEL RETTER
Birding Specials Editor

Travel means different things to different people.

For some, it’s a post-brunch stroll through their local park in Philadelphia. In this issue, Tony Croasdale offers his suggestions for birding the City of Brotherly Love, as well as a suggested longer itinerary for the more adventurous.

Others crave unfamiliar birds and save up for a dream vacation to far-flung, exotic places such as Patagonian Chile, where Jenn Smith Nelson recently visited.

But you don’t have to be rich to travel to some of the world’s most famous birding destinations. Volunteering at a birding lodge is a great way to see new and exciting birds while on a strict budget, and Steven Rodan shares with us his experience doing just that in Ecuador.

Speaking of Ecuador, English-born Sam Woods tells us why his adopted home is so special, and he offers tips for planning a trip to this, one of the birdiest countries on Earth.

Maybe you’d like a more “classic” beach vacation under the coconut palms? Mandy Talpas shares her picks for the top 20 birds of the 50th state. It’s bound to help you choose which islands to visit.

And some birders rejuvenate their souls on a ferry ride to view migrant warblers on Pelee Island, the length and breadth of which Mike and Kenneth Burrell have traipsed many times over.

Finally we have two travel-related reviews. Nick Minor takes thoughtful look the YouTube documentary,The Birders, a journey through various ecosystems of the Northern Colombia Birding Trail. And Patricia Paladines and Carl Safina review Alan F. Poole’s Ospreys: The Revival of a Global Raptor, a familiar bird which inhabits almost every cover of the planet.

However you travel, we at the ABA want to help you find your joy. I hope there is something of use and interest to you in this special issue of Birding. If there’s not, please let us know what you’d like to see next time. Be sure to tell us what you liked here, as well, so that we can include similar content in the next Birder’s Guide to Travel. We love to hear from folks who want to offer their own advice in the form of an article, and we depend on members’ contributions to make future issues a reality. You can reach me at mretter@aba.org

Happy travels!