Birding does not have to mean driving hours to some remote wilderness. Some of the best birding happens right where people live, work and walk their dogs, and the Urban Birding Challenge is all about that side of the hobby. City parks, waterfronts, rooftops, alley trees, the birds are already there, you just have to look.
This is where we collect the stories, surprises and the occasional state record that comes from birding in cities. It is a reminder that you do not need a passport or a plane ticket to have a good birding day, and that urban birding can be just as rewarding as anything out in the field.
Double Your Kingbird Double Your Fun - field notes on a pair of kingbirds that turned a normal day into something worth writing about, with photos and ID points.
A First State Record in The City That Never Sleeps - how a routine morning in New York City turned into a state first, the kind of bird you never expect to find between skyscrapers.