Best Tide for Shorebird Birding: High, Low or Rising?
Learn how low, rising, high and outgoing tides change shorebird behavior—and how to use local tide predictions to choose the best birding window.
Start birdwatching with practical beginner guides to bird identification, backyard setup, binocular skills, observation habits and common birding mistakes.
Learn how low, rising, high and outgoing tides change shorebird behavior—and how to use local tide predictions to choose the best birding window.
Find better local birding spots with eBird, habitat, recent sightings, access and timing checks—plus a simple planning workflow for your next outing.
Fog can make birds harder to see without making them absent. Learn how to switch to sound, close habitat, silhouettes and repeated scans when visibility drops.
Windy days can still be productive for birding. Learn how to find wind shadows, adjust listening, read migration winds and switch habitats when songbirds disappear.
Find owls by matching habitat, listening around dusk, following mobbing birds and checking for pellets or whitewash—without relying on playback, baiting or close approaches.
Yes—bird feeders do not stop migration. Learn which feeders help in spring and fall, when to scale back, and when hygiene makes a pause smarter.
Use this four-season backyard birding checklist to adjust observation, feeders, water, nesting safety, migration habits and habitat through spring, summer, fall and winter.
The 127th Christmas Bird Count runs Dec. 14, 2026–Jan. 5, 2027. Learn how first-timers join a circle, count birds, record effort and participate from the field or a feeder.
