Birding News 1

The results are nearly complete for the recent worldwide birding event – the October Big Day, which took place October 10th – and the preliminary total is 7,958 different species of birds during a single fall day! (A spring day in the Southern Hemisphere.) Birders from 204 nations and territories contributed information about the numbers of each species they observed, and some participants also shared photographs, audio recordings, habitat descriptions, or stories of their birding activities. This year's global team of participants really emphasized how birds can bring people together in a united effort during a peak migration day. 

Some of the best and longest-standing Birding Festivals take place during November! Although the number of birding festivals winds down as the holidays approach, some of the best birding fests will draw birders to the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, the Chilkat Valley in Alaska, and the Central Valley of California. Similarly, migration concentrations of cranes and swans will bring birders and community members to birding festivals in Wisconsin, Kansas, and northern California to celebrate birds and birding, shared with participants that range from every age to every level of interest in birds. 

Many birders consider one or more National Wildlife Refuges to be among their favorite birding destinations, and with more than 570 refuges in our National Wildlife Refuge System there is at least one in every state. The Refuge System can be counted among the greatest conservation stories ever told for birds and other wildlife, plants, water systems – and people. Starting this Saturday, October 10th thru October 17th, it is officially National Wildlife Refuge Week and it's prime time to celebrate America's national wildlife refuges and their vital roles in conservation, recreation, and community support. 

With October Big Day just 11 days away, plan to join the world's biggest birding team on Saturday October 10th! Birders from almost 200 nations around the world will identify and count the birds they see and share their experiences online on eBird to document "where the birds are" during a peak day of migration. Wherever you are on October 10th, plan to enjoy a period of birding for any length of time that suits you, and share your results on eBird. Last year birders found 7,962 species of birds collectively with a spirit of community while enjoying time in the natural world in the process. 

There is an obvious reason that as reported last week was designated as International Hawk Migration Week (Saturday, September 12 to Sunday, September 20), which was certainly magnified by the mass-migration of birds of prey documented last week during the peak of fall's migration flights. With daily high hawk counts and their locations provided below, you can readily see how migration increased throughout the week, and you can even see north to south numbers changing between Duluth and Detroit to Corpus Christi and Benson Rio Grande counting sites. All daily totals included huge numbers of Broad-winged Hawks migrating south in the mix of hawks, eagles, kites, and falcons observed. 

Join the world's birding community during peak migration during October Big Day, coming up on Saturday October 10th! This annual celebration of birds and birding is the highlight of fall for birders to join together for an exciting day of community birding around the globe. Last October, birders participated in 196 nations around the world and reported seeing a record 7,834 species of birds during a single day of birding in October. Wherever you are on October 10th, plan to enjoy a period of birding for 20 minutes or 20 hours, but likely somewhere in between to identify and count all the birds you find – then share your results on eBird. 

Shorebirds are delightful to observe, but identifying them can be a challenge. To help you identify sandpipers, plovers, and similar shorebirds, there is now a way to learn the relative sizes of shorebirds with a new downloadable ID guide: The Shorebird Yardstick. Because the 47 species of shorebirds regularly found in the United States and Canada often show similar shapes and color patterns, estimating their size is one of the most important clues to help you identify each species. Rather than sizing them by inches, biologists have found it is easiest to try to measure shorebirds relative to each other – by comparing a common species to the bird in your binocular view.

Experience the Western Field Ornithologists' (WFO) 50th Annual Conference in Ashland, Oregon this September 17 to 20! Celebrate with WFO members during 4 days of exceptional birding, science, and community in the beautiful Rogue Valley and beyond. Each year, the Western Field Ornithologists host a multi-day conference featuring scientific presentations, field trips, workshops, panels, a keynote address, the annual membership meeting, and community events in a spirit of camaraderie. 

World Shorebirds Day is an annual global celebration of shorebird conservation to raise awareness about shorebirds, their migrations, and the need to protect the habitats they use that range from nesting areas to migration stopover sites to wintering ranges. Created to strengthen the public connection with shorebirds and promote conservation through observations, education, and citizen science, World Shorebirds Day is celebrated on September 6 each year. Shorebirds are important indicators of ecosystem health, and their presence or absence can signal the condition of inland wetlands and coastal systems – so vital for wildlife and people. 

With the advent of fall migration, Birding Festivals are gearing up across the continent from Washington to Georgia and Texas to Quebec with migration themes that highlight birds ranging from hummingbirds to hawks. Some, like the Rockport-Fulton HummerBird Celebration are welcoming birders to their 38th festival on the Gulf Coast of Texas, while other exciting festival venues are growing annually. Birding Festivals are truly celebrations of birds and birding, shared by participants that range among every age to every level of interest in birds. 

Just as the first birds are beginning to filter south from northern regions of North America, BirdCast is beginning its live 24-hour monitoring of bird migration across the continental United States by using impressive weather radar technology to provide birders with an exciting opportunity to literally watch bird migration live. In addition, BirdCast provides some interesting assessments of the previous night's migration details, including the timing, flight elevations, and species composition of migrating birds – county by county, state by state, across the Lower 48 States – plus there are bird migration forecasts and alerts!

Birders and business owners will be especially interested to learn that not only are more than 96 million Americans identifying as birders – more than 1/3 of our population – but they are learning that we birders spend $107½ Billion Dollars annually on birding trips and equipment that includes binoculars, cameras and lenses, spotting scopes, clothing and footwear, bird foods, feeders, nest boxes, and much more. Spending by birders helps to support jobs and business activities in local economies across the country. Direct trip-related and equipment expenditures are only part of the economic contribution of birders, because the economic activities of birders have ripple effects throughout local and state economies. 

As birders know, more and more people have been attracted to birding, with young people including Millennials and Gen Z-ers driving much of the recent surge in birding. During this decade, about 96 million Americans aged 16 and older identify themselves as birders according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service's latest demographic and economic survey on birding, the most comprehensive study conducted to date. That means that 37 percent of the adult population in the United States – 1 of every 3 Americans – enjoys birding. The momentum is being carried by younger adults who have been discovering birding through online communities and social media. 

Birding Festivals are truly celebrations of birds and birding, shared by participants that include every age and every level of interest in birds. With many birding festivals providing guided hikes and field trips with local birding guides, they may also offer a variety of presentations, speakers, and workshops. There are children's activities and family fun too, and best of all, you have the chance to meet and enjoy spending time with others who share your enthusiasm for birds and birding! At larger birding festivals you may also be able to shop for birding optics, field gear, books, feeders, and more from vendors who can answer your questions on hand.

The US Fish & Wildlife Service has released its 2025–2026 aerial survey results for the Aransas–Wood Buffalo Whooping Crane Population, during which biologists estimated that 540 Whooping Cranes wintered in the area in and adjacent to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on the Texas Gulf Coast. The total is within the statistical margin of error of last year's estimate of 557 and emphasizes that this migratory population that nests in Canada and winters along the coast of central Texas has numbered more than 500 for 9 consecutive years!

Since 2001 the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation (ACLC) has conducted the New York Annual Loon Census on the third Saturday of the July, which is July 18th this year. Although it takes volunteers just 1 hour to conduct the survey, from 8 to 9am, the information provided is adds appreciably to the quarter-century of information already collected at lakes across the state of New York. As environmental sentinels, Common Loons that nest at freshwater lakes provide insights into the health of lake ecosystems.

In the cloud forests near the peak of remote Mount Kapalatmada on Buru Island, Indonesia (located between New Guinea and Borneo), an expedition team observed and photographed a bird that had only been documented once since its discovery more than 100 years ago – the Blue-fronted Lorikeet. In April, a team of dedicated explorers, biologists, and birding experts embarked on a 14-day trek to search for the small species of parrot that has only been found once before since its original discovery in the 1920s.

A total of 81 teams of birders competed in the World Series of Birding, the biggest 24-hour birdathon event, with was held May 9th. In the Statewide category, the Mega team won first place by finding 211 species of birds by sight or by hearing within the state of New Jersey. Followed closely by the MOS Goodfellas with 207 species, the Thousand Birds team ranked third with 179 species. Awards were also given for teams competing within Cape May County, in a Limited Geographic Area, within Cape May Island, and in the Big Stay category.

During this year's Global Big Day, May 9th turned out to be another exceptional record-breaking celebration of spring among birders! Although the final count is not yet complete, as of Tuesday afternoon as we went to press, no less than 8,043 different species of birds were reported worldwide on eBird! As usual, Colombian birders led the species counts with 1,568, and American birders recorded 745 species, which ranks 11th among the 203 nations and regions with reporting birders. Canadian birders were 24th in total species recorded with 409 species, but ranked second in numbers of birders participating, with American birders ranked first in participants. 

For the first time during spring migration, BirdCast's live migration map showed an enormous record-breaking cross-country flight that reached more than 857 million birds on Sunday May 4th! The fact that this number is closing in on 1 Billion birds during a single spring migration night across the Lower 48 States is most impressive. Conditions were exceptional, with the intersection of a peak spring migration period in many areas of continental America paired with some rather intense, bird-concentrating weather. And it was all documented live and recorded on BirdCast by using the US weather surveillance radar network.