It’s the moment that surely dozens of you have been looking forward to for hours now, the announcement of the ABA’s 2017 Bird of the Year. The 2016 Bird of the Year, Chestnut-collared Longspur, was a departure from past choices, a bird that is a bit mysterious and requires a specific ecosystem in a specific part of the continent. This year’s bird is the opposite, one that thrives in a variety of coastal habitats and a bird that is familiar not only to ABA members, but to birders around the world.
So without too much more of an introduction, here’s your 2017 Bird of the Year, Ruddy Turnstone! We’d also like to thank our 2017 Bird of the Year artist, Sophie Webb, for this beautiful painting that will grace the cover of the February 2017 issue of Birding magazine.
Get more information on this bird at our Bird of the Year page, and look for an interview with Sophie Webb on the next episode of the American Birding Podcast.