American Birding Association

10/15/2026

New young birder piece on Owen Deutsch's blog!

In “Chip, Cold, and Canada,” 12-year-old ABA Young Birder Felicity A. tells the imaginative story of two hummingbird brothers, Chip and Hue, who take very different approaches to surviving the winter.

Read here:

By ABA Young Birder, Felicity A. “Isn’t it good to be eating breakfast, Chip?” Hue said, while sipping nectar from a hibiscus blossom and searching for any insects within it. Chip paused. He settled himself on a low branch, fluffed

10/15/2026

New podcast episode!

Birders know that the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Duck Stamp program is one of the most effective conservation initiatives in the US, but what of the Duck Stamps themselves? How are they chosen? What do judges look for? Why does one family always seem to win? This year Catherine Hamilton, a southern California-based birder and artist, was given the responsibility of helping to choose the year’s most enduring conservation image, and she joins host Nate Swick to talk about her experience.

Listen here:

The American Birding Association (ABA) makes birding better by providing knowledge, sharing experiences, and building community.

10/14/2026

In late September 2026, a powerful nor’easter lashed the East Coast of the U.S. and produced an impressive array of bird sightings. A massive inshore incursion of Leach’s Storm-petrel stole the show, as many hundreds congregated along the shores of Cape Cod, and many more made their way to the heart of New York City. Other noteworthy highlights included South Polar Skua, Sabine’s Gull, and New Jersey’s first record of Common Ringed Plover.

Read here:

In late September 2026, a powerful nor’easter lashed the East Coast of the U.S. and produced an impressive array of bird sightings. A massive inshore incursion of Leach’s Storm-petrel stole the show, as many hundreds congregated along the shores of Cape Cod, and many more made their way to the h...

10/14/2026

Live. Laugh. Butterbutt.

Yellow-rumped Warblers aka butterbutts are widespread throughout North America during fall migration, sometimes gathering in enormous flocks.

Among the hardiest of the wood-warblers, Yellow-rumps migrate later than many other warblers and can survive winters much farther north, thanks in part to their ability to digest berries when insects become scarce.

And here's a birding tip: Don't assume every bird in a Yellow-rumped flock is a Yellow-rumped, as other warbler species or songbirds sometimes join them. You never know what might be mixed in.

Have the butterbutts arrived where you are yet?

10/14/2026

The Azores, way out in the North Atlantic Ocean, aren't officially in the ABA Area. But they are endlessly fascinating to North American birders for the amazing diversity of "our" birds that make their way there. In this article, we learn about recent American Goshawk records to the Azores—interesting in their own right, but also important for clarifying the puzzling status of the species in Europe.

Read here:

The Azores, way out in the North Atlantic Ocean, aren't officially in the ABA Area. But they are endlessly fascinating to North American birders for the amazing diversity of "our" birds that make their way there. In this article, we learn about recent American Goshawk records to the Azores—interes...

10/13/2026

Join the American Birding Association for a full weekend of birding, community, and celebration in and around Charleston, South Carolina, Nov. 21–22, 2026!

All bird walks and talks are free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Learn more and sign up: https://www.aba.org/aba-community-weekend-in-charleston-sc-nov-21-22-2026/

And be sure to support the Community Weekends Program by being a member of the ABA: aba.org/join



Black-bellied Plover, by Jonathan Ley

10/13/2026

10/13/2026

Something to look forward to.

10/12/2026

Until a week before this conversation, I had never been birding.

So I met up with Wayne Klockner, the executive director of the American Birding Association . We met up at Assateague Island National Seashore and he taught me the ropes.

Then we took the conversation live, on stage at the Maryland Outdoor Recreation Summit in Ocean City, in front of a room full of people who spend their days getting the rest of us outside.

Wayne shares why birding is booming in popularity and how we can all adopt this new hobby.

Thank you to Maryland Department of Natural Resources for having us. New episode out now at the link in bio.🌲

10/10/2026

Happy World Migratory Bird Day!

As billions of birds make their incredible migratory journeys, it's important to remember that our actions as birders can make a difference.

The ABA Code of Birding Ethics encourages us to put birds and their habitats first, minimize disturbance, and respect both people and the places migratory birds depend on for survival.

This World Migratory Bird Day, let's celebrate migration by practicing ethical birding and helping ensure these remarkable travelers have safe places to rest, refuel, and thrive.

ABA Code of Birding Ethics available here: https://www.aba.org/aba-code-of-birding-ethics/