Bird Watching

Bird Watching is Britain’s best-selling birdwatching magazine. Each issue is packed with expert advice on when, where and how to see more birds, from common garden visitors to the most elusive rarities. There are features from some of British birdwatching’s best-known names, superbly illustrated by the work of the world’s best bird photographers, plus comprehensive coverage of all the latest sightings, guides to the best birdwatching sites, ID masterclasses, news and reviews of all the latest gear.

Welcome

Bird Watching • What (other than the Robin) would make the perfect festive bird?

YOUR BIRDING MONTH • DECEMBER

FIVE BIRDS TO FIND IN DECEMBER • Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat, and so on. But have you got every goose or every other bird you need on your year list, before January? Here are five gorgeous birds you may want to seek out before the year ends

Beyond Birdwatching • December rewards diligent, sharp-eyed wildlife watchers, says James Lowen

Weedon's World • Mike spent a week in early October experiencing the joys of the Baltic states, with great birds and more…

Surveying wild winter swans • Our two visiting species are encountering different fortunes, writes Jon Carter…

Reporting dead birds

Grumpy Old Birder • It's time that we valued all of the natural world, writes Bo Beolens…

Sign up to #My200BirdYear • As the year draws to a close, there are still surprises to be had, writes David Callahan…

To pish or not to pish? • 30-minute birder Amanda Tuke explores the ethics of using sound to attract birds…

What do YOU think? • Amanda asks Bird Watching readers for their views on using sound to attract birds for birdwatching, surveying and/or science.

Is this our most festive bird? • Green Woodpeckers make a perfect, if unlikely, symbol of Christmas, writes Sarah Marles…

What a difference a year makes! • A groundbreaking birdwatching group is helping women fully engage in nature, writes Matt Merritt…

Wader wonderland • Picking out unusual species from the crowd is one of the joys of autumn birding, writes Ruth Miller…

ID Challenge • This month's challenge is all about the identification of birds in snow

Answers & solutions • Check your answers against our explanations. Remember, there are no ‘trick’birds or extreme rarities among these…

ID Tips & tricks • Here are a few extra tips to help you identify birds in snow

GO BIRDING • 10 great sites for brilliant birdwatching

LOCH BRORA • Look for divers and more at this scenic spot

CARSE OF DELNIES • Shorebirds and wildfowl overlooking the North Sea

CHRICHOPE LINN

ST MARY'S ISLAND • Tidal island, cliffs and wetlands offer many species

CROSSCANONBY • An overlooked site with a range of good bird habitats

TRENT VALLEY PITS • Winter wildfowl and waterbirds plus passage migrants

HOLLOWELL RESERVOIR • Wildfowl and waders in the heart of the Midlands

WESTLETON HEATH • Contrasting habitats offer up a wide variety of birds

BILSINGTON • A scenic walk in wildwood and reclaimed marshland

KNAPP COPSE LNR • An undulating walk of woodland, streams and farmland

YOURVIEW • PHOTOS, LETTERS, TWEETS, QUESTIONS – HAVE YOUR SAY

Your Questions • Send all your birding questions to birdwatching@bauermedia.co.uk and our experts will give you the answers

Bird Watching

Raven • Our largest corvid is more reliant on other birds – and wildlife – than you might think, explains Dominic Couzens

New Forest Summer Wildlife • 14-18 July 2026 £1,199 per person, £200 single supplement

TOWERING achievement • Panama's...