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- Bird Watcher's Digest
January/February 2017

Our cover features one of the most industrious of birds, a bird with an obsession. The acorn woodpecker excavates thousands of acorn-sized holes, then feverishly collects the objects of its desire and shoves them into the holes for easy eating and long-term storage. Stephen Shunk, author of the Peterson Reference Guide to Woodpeckers of North America, provides our cover species profile. Also, True Nature columnist Julie Zickefoose has found a phrase that separates nature lovers from industrial tourists: "We're just birding." Those who flee that phrase are likely to miss something special.
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Our Cover Species: Acorn Woodpecker: The Clown-Faced Woodpecker with an Acorn Obsession by Stephen Shunk
Northern Pygmy-Owl: The Forest Gnome by Scott Rashid
The Brown Booby by David Stringer
Rare Birders Find Rare Birds by Bruce Stambaugh
Birding Central Chile: From the Andes to the Pacific and Endemics in Between by Stephan Lorenz

In the Backyard
Nobody Expects the Birdish Inquisition by Al Batt
My Lifesaving Attempts by Paula Keller
My Way: Our Nemesis Snowy Owl: A Rare Florida Visitor by Harry B. Hooper
Pete's Tips: Finding Birds in Winter by Pete Dunne

Columns & Departments
Letters from Readers
Quick Takes by Paul J. Baicich
Migrations: The Other Eden by Scott Weidensaul
ID Yourself: Head Over Heels for Nuthatches by Alvaro Jaramillo
State Spotlight: Louisiana
Birders Question Mark by Mark S. Garland
True Nature: Just Birding by Julie Zickefoose
Birding Photography: What’s Your Angle? by Jeffrey Rich
Far Afield: The Florida Everglades: It's All About the Birds by Bean Friend
Watching Bird Behavior: Herons Do Spear Prey by David M. Bird
Book Notes
Well-Equipped Birder: Allura Hummingbird Feeder by Mollee Brown
