Birdwatch

Birdwatch magazine is the UK’s number one bird watching magazine for keen birders, featuring the latest rarity reports, ID guides, optics reviews and birding holidays, plus features and news from across the world.

Birdwatch

Editor’s Note

Gamebird of hide-and-seek?

Dazzling duck discovery • After a morning’s gulling in south Co Kerry, a quick stop at Lough Yganavan produced a monumental discovery for Brian Power.

English Killdeer breaks 20-year mainland drought • A co-operative bird in Hampshire proved a major draw before disappearing late in the month.

Vega completes incredible double • Ireland’s second Vega Gull was a brief visitor to Galway City during early January, but twitchers went home empty-handed.

Quick out of the blocks • A lively start to the New Year saw twitchers racing to Ireland, where a mega duck obliged but a Pacific gull evaded the masses.

Short-billed Gull stuns in a blockbuster January • An international twitch to the Faroes, multiple Nearctic arrivals and several national firsts ensured a memorable start to the year across the region, reports Sam Viles.

The end of the notebook era • From battered notebooks to eBird lists, David charts his journey from pen to phone – and wonders why he misses the old ways, even as he embraces the new.

Bird killers or easy scapegoats? • Our columnist asks whether pet cats really deserve the conservation outrage they receive, and argues that bigger threats to Britain’s birds remain unresolved.

Photo of the Year 2025 • Birdwatch and BirdGuides readers turned out in their thousands to vote in the 20th annual Photo of the Year – here we share the winner and runners up.

Birding heaven in Devon • County listing is part obsession, part endurance test. Devon birding legend Mark Bailey explains the rewards and frustrations of chasing a list through the decades.

Tree Sparrow’s vanishing act • Once a widespread and familiar farmland bird, Tree Sparrow has suffered one of the steepest declines of any UK passerine. Species expert Matt Prior takes a close look at what went wrong and whether a recovery is still possible.

Treecreepers • Subtle tones, tricky calls and overlapping ranges – treecreepers provide a real ID conundrum. David Campbell discusses separating Short-toed and Northern Treecreepers from the British subspecies of Eurasian.

Nature without the footprint • You don’t need four wheels to see great birds. Rebecca Gibson, Dan Rouse, Heather Devey and Megan Shersby, the authors of Where to Watch Wildlife in Britain by Low-carbon Transport, showcase some the best sites that can be accessed by public transport.

Unearthing patch gold • The Patchwork Challenge proves that you don’t need to travel far from home to find great birds, but patience and persistence help. Jacob Spinks summarises some of 2025’s highlights from birders across Britain and Ireland.

Affordable excellence • Mike Alibone takes a detailed look at how one of the RSPB’s top binoculars performs.

Celebrating Icelandic birds

A feathered history of place

When rewilding gets real

Avian prose

Greater White-fronted Goose • This month’s panel: Keith Betton, Kit Day, Chris Harbard, Dan Owen and Ruth Weaver

Flock photos

The drawing process

Crossbill

Migration highs and lows

Focus on foraging

Subantarctic Islands of New Zealand and Australia

Your Letters & photos • Tell us what you think. Write to:

In the next issue April

The ethics of saving a vagrant • The rescue of Texel’s famous Spectacled Eider prompted celebration, soul-searching and some very strange criticism, writes our columnist.