Doug Hitchcox
@dhitchcox.bsky.social
Staff Naturalist at Maine Audubon
I’ve got a new video up: “[A] Birder's Take on All the Mammals of the World.” I hope this helps you decide if you should add it to your bookshelf!
tldr: Lynx doesn’t miss.
youtu.be/Ien8-7oq7sA
tldr: Lynx doesn’t miss.
youtu.be/Ien8-7oq7sA
Birder's Take on All the Mammals of the World
YouTube video by Doug Hitchcox
youtu.be
January 31, 2026 at 7:13 PM
I’ve got a new video up: “[A] Birder's Take on All the Mammals of the World.” I hope this helps you decide if you should add it to your bookshelf!
tldr: Lynx doesn’t miss.
youtu.be/Ien8-7oq7sA
tldr: Lynx doesn’t miss.
youtu.be/Ien8-7oq7sA
Just got my #eBirdRecounted2025 and for sharing 73% of lists submitted in 2025, I birded like a Guira Cuckoo 😆
January 16, 2026 at 7:10 PM
Just got my #eBirdRecounted2025 and for sharing 73% of lists submitted in 2025, I birded like a Guira Cuckoo 😆
All the Mammals of the World has been out for a couple of years, but as I’m finally adding it to my library, would anyone be interested in a review video?
January 10, 2026 at 8:03 PM
All the Mammals of the World has been out for a couple of years, but as I’m finally adding it to my library, would anyone be interested in a review video?
My “Birding Basics” online courses for @maineaudubon.bsky.social start tomorrow night! Each Tuesday, 6:30-8PM. These are free and recorded.
Sign up at: maineaudubon.org/events/birdi...
Sign up at: maineaudubon.org/events/birdi...
January 5, 2026 at 4:47 PM
My “Birding Basics” online courses for @maineaudubon.bsky.social start tomorrow night! Each Tuesday, 6:30-8PM. These are free and recorded.
Sign up at: maineaudubon.org/events/birdi...
Sign up at: maineaudubon.org/events/birdi...
The Ivory-billed Woodpecker will return in Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
January 3, 2026 at 3:54 AM
The Ivory-billed Woodpecker will return in Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
I added three birds to my Maine list in 2025. Not bad, especially in a year with no state firsts.
A 1-day Snowy Plover was a tough dip, but missing Bridled Tern by 15 minutes was brutal (appeared just after our boat left). BRBO and ANMU were reported but not chaseable.
What will 2026 bring?
A 1-day Snowy Plover was a tough dip, but missing Bridled Tern by 15 minutes was brutal (appeared just after our boat left). BRBO and ANMU were reported but not chaseable.
What will 2026 bring?
January 2, 2026 at 8:06 PM
I added three birds to my Maine list in 2025. Not bad, especially in a year with no state firsts.
A 1-day Snowy Plover was a tough dip, but missing Bridled Tern by 15 minutes was brutal (appeared just after our boat left). BRBO and ANMU were reported but not chaseable.
What will 2026 bring?
A 1-day Snowy Plover was a tough dip, but missing Bridled Tern by 15 minutes was brutal (appeared just after our boat left). BRBO and ANMU were reported but not chaseable.
What will 2026 bring?
Birding had a Moment in 2025
youtu.be/d-fFWTNwv4M
youtu.be/d-fFWTNwv4M
Birding had a Moment in 2025
YouTube video by Doug Hitchcox
youtu.be
December 31, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Birding had a Moment in 2025
youtu.be/d-fFWTNwv4M
youtu.be/d-fFWTNwv4M
Hit a couple fun milestones for my YouTube channel this week!
December 19, 2025 at 2:03 AM
Hit a couple fun milestones for my YouTube channel this week!
In the last 20 years, Maine has added 55 new birds to the state list. Despite the 2.75 bird/year average, 2020 and [apparently] 2025 had no new species. Here’s hoping 2026 keeps that average up, or that I get to update this post in the next two weeks 🤞😆
December 17, 2025 at 5:13 PM
In the last 20 years, Maine has added 55 new birds to the state list. Despite the 2.75 bird/year average, 2020 and [apparently] 2025 had no new species. Here’s hoping 2026 keeps that average up, or that I get to update this post in the next two weeks 🤞😆
Day 2 of the Christmas Bird Count has me seawatching from the Nubble Lighthouse. 14°F with a 19mph NW wind 🥶
December 15, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Day 2 of the Christmas Bird Count has me seawatching from the Nubble Lighthouse. 14°F with a 19mph NW wind 🥶
The Christmas Bird Counts start tomorrow so I made a quick video with tips for eBirding yours CBCs!
5 Tips for eBirding during Christmas Bird Counts
youtu.be/CB_JRCuKdqI
5 Tips for eBirding during Christmas Bird Counts
youtu.be/CB_JRCuKdqI
December 13, 2025 at 10:38 PM
The Christmas Bird Counts start tomorrow so I made a quick video with tips for eBirding yours CBCs!
5 Tips for eBirding during Christmas Bird Counts
youtu.be/CB_JRCuKdqI
5 Tips for eBirding during Christmas Bird Counts
youtu.be/CB_JRCuKdqI
We have spaces open on our Jamaica tour in March! The birds are a big selling point but bringing more ecotourism as they recover from Hurricane Melissa is really important.
“If you want to support us, visit us.” -Jamaican tourism officials
fieldguides.com/jamaica-2026-with-maine-audubon/
“If you want to support us, visit us.” -Jamaican tourism officials
fieldguides.com/jamaica-2026-with-maine-audubon/
December 6, 2025 at 8:18 PM
We have spaces open on our Jamaica tour in March! The birds are a big selling point but bringing more ecotourism as they recover from Hurricane Melissa is really important.
“If you want to support us, visit us.” -Jamaican tourism officials
fieldguides.com/jamaica-2026-with-maine-audubon/
“If you want to support us, visit us.” -Jamaican tourism officials
fieldguides.com/jamaica-2026-with-maine-audubon/
Amazonian Umbrellabird and an umbrella birder.
It was a very wet day but we still picked up a bunch of new birds in the foothills on @maineaudubon.bsky.social‘s Ecuador tour.
It was a very wet day but we still picked up a bunch of new birds in the foothills on @maineaudubon.bsky.social‘s Ecuador tour.
November 29, 2025 at 3:20 AM
Amazonian Umbrellabird and an umbrella birder.
It was a very wet day but we still picked up a bunch of new birds in the foothills on @maineaudubon.bsky.social‘s Ecuador tour.
It was a very wet day but we still picked up a bunch of new birds in the foothills on @maineaudubon.bsky.social‘s Ecuador tour.
We saw a SPECTACLED BEAR on day 1 of @maineaudubon.bsky.social’s tour in Ecuador!! I can not express how amazing this was, amongst a day of incredible birding (including Andean Condor sightings) around Antisana Reserve.
November 23, 2025 at 11:53 PM
We saw a SPECTACLED BEAR on day 1 of @maineaudubon.bsky.social’s tour in Ecuador!! I can not express how amazing this was, amongst a day of incredible birding (including Andean Condor sightings) around Antisana Reserve.
This feels mandatory
November 21, 2025 at 10:24 AM
This feels mandatory
Big day for Patch birding!
Started the day with Turkey Vulture as my 259th species on Monhegan Island. Ended with Harlequin Duck at Gilsland Farm as my 235th there.
Started the day with Turkey Vulture as my 259th species on Monhegan Island. Ended with Harlequin Duck at Gilsland Farm as my 235th there.
November 15, 2025 at 4:29 AM
Big day for Patch birding!
Started the day with Turkey Vulture as my 259th species on Monhegan Island. Ended with Harlequin Duck at Gilsland Farm as my 235th there.
Started the day with Turkey Vulture as my 259th species on Monhegan Island. Ended with Harlequin Duck at Gilsland Farm as my 235th there.
Congrats to Noah and Stacey for breaking the Maine Big Year Record!
Now at 323, they’ve got 54 days to set that bar as high as they can.
Now at 323, they’ve got 54 days to set that bar as high as they can.
November 7, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Congrats to Noah and Stacey for breaking the Maine Big Year Record!
Now at 323, they’ve got 54 days to set that bar as high as they can.
Now at 323, they’ve got 54 days to set that bar as high as they can.
Picked all these up for only $75
October 22, 2025 at 11:58 PM
Picked all these up for only $75
I’m one month away from heading to Ecuador and just learned a Black-breasted Puffleg is coming to a feeder super close to where we’re going on day 1. The last one there (in 2023) also showed up in October and lingered through December. 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞
October 21, 2025 at 8:18 PM
I’m one month away from heading to Ecuador and just learned a Black-breasted Puffleg is coming to a feeder super close to where we’re going on day 1. The last one there (in 2023) also showed up in October and lingered through December. 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞
Me: I’m done buying books.
Lynx: We have a special offer 🫦
😫💸🐢🐊📕
Lynx: We have a special offer 🫦
😫💸🐢🐊📕
October 21, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Me: I’m done buying books.
Lynx: We have a special offer 🫦
😫💸🐢🐊📕
Lynx: We have a special offer 🫦
😫💸🐢🐊📕
Wake up babe, it’s the eBird update we’ve been waiting for!
October 17, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Wake up babe, it’s the eBird update we’ve been waiting for!
I haven’t watched Adventures in Love & Birding yet, and I’m sure it’s cringy, but the cringier thing to me is every review calling out this guy for using porro prism binoculars as a guide. Stop the gear-shaming, birders.
Alright, ima go watch Listers for the tenth time instead.
Alright, ima go watch Listers for the tenth time instead.
October 15, 2025 at 2:22 PM
I haven’t watched Adventures in Love & Birding yet, and I’m sure it’s cringy, but the cringier thing to me is every review calling out this guy for using porro prism binoculars as a guide. Stop the gear-shaming, birders.
Alright, ima go watch Listers for the tenth time instead.
Alright, ima go watch Listers for the tenth time instead.
Annual reminder of the best sale in bird books! Not many new titles since last year but there’s a few I’m excited to finally get.
press.princeton.edu/sale/70-off
press.princeton.edu/sale/70-off
October 8, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Annual reminder of the best sale in bird books! Not many new titles since last year but there’s a few I’m excited to finally get.
press.princeton.edu/sale/70-off
press.princeton.edu/sale/70-off
Iceland is on a hot streak!! 🔥 Huge congrats to Björn Arnarson for the new finds!
October 6, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Iceland is on a hot streak!! 🔥 Huge congrats to Björn Arnarson for the new finds!
Black-throated Gray Warbler is my 415th Maine bird, on Monhegan Island today.
September 29, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Black-throated Gray Warbler is my 415th Maine bird, on Monhegan Island today.