Bird Watcher’s Digest is joining friends around the world in The Global Bird Weekend, and we’re inviting you to join us, too! WHO IS INVOLVED Tim Appleton of Rutland, England, was the beloved face of the British Birdfair for more than 30 years, and his vision, spirit, and energy inspired its success for decades. Because our world has changed due to COVID-19… Read more »
The evening news seems to be too-regularly reporting another major new wildfire somewhere, each one more horrific than the previous one. Wildfires are devastating, destroying tens or hundreds of thousands of acres, burning countless homes, wiping out entire towns, uprooting and terrorizing families. And they seem to be getting worse and more frequent every year…. Read more »
In an alternate version of 2020, I would be in Rutland, England, this week, attending my first British Birdfair (not to mention my first visit to England!) with our publisher, Wendy Clark. Responsibly managing travel and public health safety during COVID-19 resulted in cancelation of the physical event, which normally draws about 24,000 attendees from… Read more »
John James Audubon was the first to tag a bird. In 1804, he affixed a thin, silver band to the legs of eastern phoebes that were nesting on his property. Audubon was curious about nest-site fidelity. The following year, the phoebes—leg bands intact—returned to nest on his property. Audubon was brilliant, but I doubt that… Read more »
A Message from Wendy Clark, BWD Publisher and Director Dear Friends: How are you faring during our global pandemic? We hope you are safe, sequestered, and staying healthy amid this unprecedented time in our world’s history. The staff at Bird Watcher’s Digest has avoided COVID-19 so far, and we are taking sensible measures to stay safe during… Read more »
by Kelly Ball, Ad Sales Director & Jessica Melfi, Assistant Editor Migration’s kicking into gear, and it couldn’t come at a better time. Who couldn’t use a little positive bird distraction right now, as we wait out the COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent effects on our daily lives? Like you, we check in daily with our loved ones; balance work, family, and other immediate… Read more »
If you decided that seeing a snowy owl in the wild would be a great goal for this winter, good luck! Snowy owls have turned up in their regular haunts in the past month or so, but this winter is not proving to be an irruption season. Most memorably, in the winters of 2013–2014, and… Read more »
A bald eagle nest by any account is a sight to behold, especially once the adults are joined by their young. On rare occasion, one of the little heads peeping over the top of the nest isn’t an eagle at all, but rather another raptor species! This is exactly what happened recently in Redding, California,… Read more »
In southern Peru, a vast 200-square-mile stretch of desert plains is adorned with massive etchings known as the Nazca Lines. The drawings include geometric shapes, human figures, plants, and various animals, including 16 birds. Scientists have been studying the geoglyphs for nearly a century in an attempt to determine why unknown pre-Incan people created them… Read more »
When we think of helping birds, tube feeders, sunflower seeds, hummingbird nectar, and bird baths might come to mind. But the most substantial help humans can provide for wild birds is natural habitat that safely feeds and shelters birds. Some trees and shrubs can provide sustenance for early emerging insect larvae, also known as baby… Read more »
