Guides
Guides for birders
Plain answers about life lists and your sightings, for birders and for the people who buy them gifts.
Life lists
What is a life list?
Every bird you've ever seen, and the words birders use for it: lifers, spark birds, year lists. What counts, how to keep one, and a free printable list.
New birds on the US list in 2026: Hen Harrier, Oriental Honey-buzzard, Pearly-eyed Thrasher and a renamed petrel
The AOS added Hen Harrier, Oriental Honey-buzzard and Pearly-eyed Thrasher to the US list in 2026, and Fea's Petrel became Desertas Petrel. Where and when.
The best birding movies: 12 films and documentaries about birders and birds, ranked
The best birding movies, ranked: The Big Year, Listers (free on YouTube), The Central Park Effect and nine more, with where to watch each in the US.
Bald Eagle lifespan: how long does a Bald Eagle live?
A Bald Eagle's typical lifespan is 15 to 30 years in the wild and more than 40 in captivity. The oldest known wild one reached 38. Why so many die young.
The Big Year movie (2011): the cast, the true story, the book and where to watch it
The Big Year (2011) is based on a true story: the 1998 birding race of Sandy Komito, Greg Miller and Al Levantin. The cast, the book and where to watch it.
Year list birding: what it is, good totals and how to start one
A year list is every bird species you see or hear in one calendar year. What counts, what a good total looks like at each level, and how to start one.
Big Year birding: what it is, the rules, the records and how to do one
A Big Year is a try at seeing as many bird species as you can in one calendar year. The ABA rules, the 840-species record and how to start your own.
Cardinal state bird: the 7 states that chose it, and why
The Northern Cardinal is the state bird of 7 states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. Years, laws and why.
Birding records: Big Year, Big Day and the biggest life lists
Big Year records: 6,852 species worldwide (Arjan Dwarshuis, 2016) and 840 in the US and Canada (John Weigel, 2019). Big Day and life-list records too.
How long do wild birds live?
Most wild songbirds live 1 to 2 years; a Bald Eagle, 15 to 30. How long 114 birds usually live, each with its source, and the oldest known age of each.
How to keep a record of your local patch
Patch birding means birding one place near home, again and again. How to choose a patch, set its boundary, what to note each visit, and how to look back.
Bird splits and lumps: why your list count changes
A split turns one bird species into two or more; a lump merges them. What recent changes to Herring Gull, Yellow Warbler and Whimbrel do to your list.
A gift for a birder's milestone: the 100th lifer, the 500th and more
How birders mark a 100th or 500th lifer, a Big Year or a first trip abroad, and gifts to match: a day out, a field guide, a framed painting or a book.
How many bird species are in the US and Canada?
The official count for the US and Canada, why the US alone has no official number (the nearest is 1,106), a 2026 proposal, and which state has the most.
How many birds does the average birder see?
About 670 species in the best study we found: 400 keen birders surveyed online averaged 670. No one publishes a true average; here is what the data shows.
Life list vs year list: which one should you keep?
Life list vs year list: one counts every bird species you have ever seen, the other only one calendar year, back to zero on January 1. Which to keep?
What is a spark bird?
The bird that got you hooked on birding. A 2026 study of 560 spark stories found the 2 most common spark birds and the usual age it happens: 8.
Your records
How to download your eBird data
Step by step, with pictures: from My eBird to the MyEBirdData.csv file on your computer, and what to do if the email doesn't come.
Birding log books and journals compared: which should you get?
Seven birding log books and journals compared, with prices checked in October 2026, plus free apps, the five S's of birding and what the hobby costs.
How to export your Merlin life list
Yes, you can get your Merlin life list out of the app. The four steps, what to check if birds go missing or show up twice, and how to turn it into a book.
What to write in a birding journal
What to write in a birding journal: the date and place, the birds, one thing you noticed and one question. Easy prompts, a one-page layout and an example.
How to write a birding trip report worth keeping
A good birding trip report has two parts: a short story of the trip, then the useful facts. What to include, how to lay it out, and what to keep private.
How to look after old or inherited birding notebooks
How to look after an old or inherited birding notebook: handling, safe storage, photographing pages without harm, typing up the list, keeping the original.
How to back up your birding records
Keep a safe copy of your sightings: download your eBird and iNaturalist records, keep three copies in two places, refresh them yearly, add a paper copy.
How to turn a paper bird list into a spreadsheet
Type an old notebook or paper bird list into a spreadsheet: the columns to use, old names and dates, making a life list from a log, and saving a CSV copy.
How to print your bird life list
To print your eBird life list, open My eBird, click your species total, download it as a spreadsheet and print it. Or use a free printable, or a book.
The painters
The Goldfinch painting by Carel Fabritius, and the real bird
The Goldfinch is a 1654 painting by Carel Fabritius at the Mauritshuis in The Hague. Where it is, what it means, how he died, and the real bird.
The best bird coffee table books: paintings, photographs and one of your own
The 12 best coffee table bird books of 2026, compared by size, pages and price, from $30 to $195: Audubon, Gould, Flach and more. Gifts for bird lovers.
The best bird books of 2026: field guides, gift books and great reads
11 bird books worth owning in 2026, with list prices: the best field guide, new books of 2026, books for kids and beginners, funny gifts and great reads.
Audubon's Birds of America book: which edition should you buy?
Which Audubon Birds of America book to buy: today's editions compared by size, plates and price, what old copies are worth, and where to see all 435 free.
Is it an original Audubon print? What to check before you buy
Seeing Audubon prints for sale? How to tell an original from a reproduction: the three 1800s editions, what to ask the seller, when to get an appraisal.
How to frame and care for a classic bird print
What to ask a framer for a classic bird print: a cotton mat, hinges not tape, UV-filtering glazing that doesn't touch it, and where to hang it.
John Gould: the Victorian bird man and his hummingbirds
John Gould, the Victorian Bird Man: who really drew his 3,000-plus bird plates, how his gold-leaf hummingbirds were made, and where to see the scans free.
John James Audubon and The Birds of America
John James Audubon's paintings in The Birds of America: 435 life-size plates, how they were made, where to see every plate free online, and his legacy.
Louis Agassiz Fuertes, the painter of living birds
Louis Agassiz Fuertes (1874–1927), the bird painter many critics rank above Audubon: his life, travels and style, and where to see his paintings today.
Famous bird painters behind our vintage plates
Famous bird painters Audubon, Gould, Fuertes and Keulemans: who they were, how they worked, and where to see their vintage plates free online.
Through the year
Crow vs raven: how to tell them apart, which US states have ravens, the grackle look-alike, and which bird is smarter
A raven weighs over twice as much as a crow, with a wedge-shaped tail and a deep croak. Sizes side by side, US ranges, the grackle, and which is smarter.
Hawk vs falcon: why they aren't close relatives, how to tell them apart, and the 17 hawks and 6 falcons of the US and Canada
Falcons are closer kin to parrots than to hawks. How to tell them apart by wings, bill, flight and call, plus all 17 US hawks and 6 falcons with sizes.
Tip up, dive or chase fish: the types of ducks in North America, and what makes a duck not a goose
Does it tip up, dive or chase fish? That tells you which of six types of duck it is. Duck vs goose in five tests, and 38 US and Canada ducks in tables.
Types of hummingbirds: who arrives when, who stays the winter, and all 24 seen in the US
Hummingbirds run on a calendar. All 24 in the US, 14 nesters and 10 rare strays: when each comes and goes, which stay the winter, the smallest and rarest.
Types of owls in North America: the 19 that nest here, the call each one makes, and the three rare strays
Nineteen owls nest in the US and Canada: all of them in one table, the call each makes, the biggest and smallest, and how a Barn Owl differs from a Barred.
Woodpeckers in California: the 17 on the state list, the Acorn Woodpecker's hoards, and Nuttall's, the California specialty
California lists 17 woodpeckers and a stray wryneck: Acorn granaries, Nuttall's vs Downy, two endangered desert birds, and the best places to see each.
Woodpeckers in Florida: the eight that live here, the Ivory-bill question, and Red-cockadeds on a bombing range
Eight woodpeckers live in Florida, plus the Ivory-billed sought on the Choctawhatchee. Red-cockadeds on an Air Force range, Pileateds in Gainesville yards.
Woodpeckers in Michigan: the 12 on the state list, Upper Peninsula vs Lower, and the giant one
Michigan counts 12 woodpeckers: 8 found every year and 4 rarities, one of them on a Muskegon golf course in 2022. The giant one you saw is a Pileated.
Woodpeckers in Ohio: the seven you can find, the four you probably won't, and what brings them to your yard
Ohio has 7 everyday woodpeckers and 4 it rarely or never sees now. Downys outnumber Hairys ten to one; Red-headeds perch on Killdeer Plains poles.
Woodpeckers in Texas: the 16 on the state list, where each one lives, and the East–West split
Texas lists 16 woodpeckers, from the Golden-fronted of the mesquite to the Red-cockaded of East Texas pines. Where to find each, and do smells repel them?
Types of woodpeckers in North America: all 22, from the tiny Downy to the Pileated, and how to tell them apart
22 woodpeckers live in the US and Canada, from the tiny Downy to the crow-sized Pileated. Sizes, ranges, male vs female, sounds and the biggest.
National Bird Day 2027: January 5, who started it and how to mark it
National Bird Day 2027 is Tuesday, January 5. Who started it in 2002 and why, the first Bird Day of 1894, and easy ways for birders to mark the day.
Birds of prey in Texas: the hawks, eagles, kites and falcons, and when to see each
Texas has 39 hawks, eagles, kites and falcons on its official list. Where and when to see each, which one you saw, and what the law says about them.
Owls in Texas: the 17 species, where and when to hear them, and the other night birds
Texas has 17 owls on its official list. Where and when to hear each, the small and white owls, other night birds, and what an owl in your yard means.
Red cardinal meaning: what it means when you see a cardinal
A red cardinal is read as a loved one's visit, a sign of hope or of Christmas. Where each belief comes from, what's documented, and the real bird.
The birds of the Twelve Days of Christmas, one by one
The partridge, turtle doves, French hens, colly (calling) birds, geese and swans of the 12 Days of Christmas: what each bird is, and which live in the US.
Yellow birds in Texas: which yellow-breasted bird you saw, and the orioles
The yellow-breasted bird you saw in Texas: 13 larger ones by region and season, from kingbirds and the Great Kiskadee to meadowlarks, plus the 7 orioles.
The Great Backyard Bird Count 2027: dates and how to take part
The 30th Great Backyard Bird Count runs Feb 12–15, 2027. It's free: count birds for 15 minutes or more, anywhere, then report them. How to take part.
Bird watching gifts for dad, mom and grandparents: ideas by situation (2026)
Bird watching gifts for a parent or grandparent, by situation: the one with all the gear, the window watcher, birders in their 80s. Real prices.
October Big Day: 2026 results and the 2027 date
October Big Day 2026 was October 10. When the results come out, last year's totals, the expected 2027 date (Saturday, October 9) and how to join.
How to plan a birding outing with less walking
Birding without long walks: wildlife drives, benches by water, feeder windows and bird sits. What to check about a place before you go.
Your first bird of the year: a small tradition worth writing down
Your first bird of the year is the first one you see or hear on January 1. What counts, how to plan the morning, and a simple way to record it every year.
Project FeederWatch 2026–27: dates, cost and how to join
Project FeederWatch 2026–27 runs Nov 1, 2026 to Apr 30, 2027. What it costs in the US and Canada, how to sign up, and how to count and report.
The Big Sit! 2026 results and 2027 dates
The Big Sit! 2026 was October 10 and 11. When the results come out, 2025's top circles, the expected 2027 dates (October 9 and 10) and the rules.
Winter Finch Forecast 2026–27: what it means for your birding
Winter Finch Forecast 2026–27, out Sept. 25: siskins, crossbills and grosbeaks in the Northeast, mostly in the woods; few farther south. Where to look.
The Christmas Bird Count: 2026–27 dates and how to join
The 127th Audubon Christmas Bird Count runs Dec 14, 2026 to Jan 5, 2027. It's free and beginners are welcome. How to find a count near you and sign up.
Retirement gifts for birders: ideas for every budget (2026)
Gifts for a retired birdwatcher: a trip, a class, a feeder, personalized and funny gifts, a birding bucket list, and what's customary to give. With prices.
More help
- Free birding tools and data: our free tools, printable lists and bird data, all on one page.
- Bird splits and lumps: every change since 2018 that matters in the US and Canada, and a free check of your own list.
- Your birding year in numbers: your species, new lifers, first bird of the year, best month and biggest day, from your own list, with a card to share.
- Audubon’s Birds of America: all 435 plates, with today’s bird names and a free scan of each.
- Audubon’s birds, then and now: how many of his birds have new names, which are extinct, and which were mistakes or mysteries, with a file to download.
- Classic bird paintings: Audubon’s plates and other classic portraits of 58 birds, with the stories behind them.
- Bird species by state: the official count for every US state and Canadian province.
- Bird species per square mile: which state has the most bird species for its size, every state ranked, with a file to download.
- State birds: the official bird of every state, from each state’s own law or website, with its classic painting.
- Oldest wild birds: the record age of each of 719 species in the US government’s banding records, with a file to download.
- US birding festivals, 2026–2027: dates by month and by state, from each festival’s own site.
- Questions and answers: files, prices, delivery and gift cards.
- Gifts for birders: ideas, and how to give a Birdfolio.
- Look inside a Birdfolio, page by page.