A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching: Getting to Know the World's Most Misunderstood Bird

Product Information

Check individual models carefully – high-quality binoculars are generally fully waterproof, but some budget models are only fogproof. Our lovely teacher and design teams have updated this resource and you can now download the new version. Though the whistly wingtip design may come at an aerodynamic cost, it likely helps a pigeon alert its pals of a threat. With straight scopes, the body and eyepiece lie on the same optical plane, which allows you to look straight through the eyepiece at your intended subject.

What’s great for birding is the TreeTop Walk (250m), a suspension bridge that connects the two highest points in MacRitchie. It will fit into a roomy jacket pocket, a rucksack, or a shoulder bag, and can be stashed in carry-on luggage. Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science.

Some people who only know them as adorable birds from pictures and postcards might wonder: can puffins fly?

You can start exploring and looking for birds near the mangrove habitats on the boardwalks, then head over to the beach area. The roads and paths are largely not developed yet, which adds to the experience of birding outdoors.

It’s sort of like holding your arms above your head and clapping with your palms turned away from each other.

It still remains a symbol of Iceland, with the Falcon Cross being the highest honor the Icelandic state can bestow upon individuals. Many countries and smaller regions (states/provinces) have "rarities committees" to check, accept or reject reports of rare birds made by birders.

The memory of the Great Auk is important to hold up to remind people of the importance of the conservation efforts being administered to the birdlife that is currently thriving in Iceland. Ethologist Nikolaas Tinbergen considers birdwatching to be an expression of the male hunting instinct, while Simon Baron-Cohen links it with a male tendency for "systemizing". An Icelandic tradition dictates that when Golden Plover arrives, winter is over, and springtime is here. First things first though, you need to think about your level of experience and the type of birdwatching you do – the habitats and the behaviours of the birds you want to spot. In the 19th century, these birds were known to have been very rare and sought after by collectors and museums, and some 70 taxidermy specimens exist today, one of them belonging to the Icelandic Museum of Natural History.