Bird Watching or Birding is one of the fastest growing hobbies in the United States.  What other sport or hobby has no age limitations, requires no money to get started, and can be enjoyed in literally any location?

Anyone can get started watching birds just by observing the different species of birds that inhabit their yards.  But if you’re serious about birding, the one investment you will have to make is in a good pair of binoculars.  “Good” does not have to equate to “expensive”.   In fact, it is my belief that spending $1000s on a pair of binoculars should be reserved to those only with money burning a hole in thier pocket.  In fact, there are many models of inexpensive binocular models that are perfect for watching and identifying birds.

The main purpose of this website is to review some of the best bird watching binoculars and optics for birding.  Many of the models that we look at aren’t necessarily made for birding, but offer everything a bird watching enthusiast would need.  We have been birding for close to 20 years now and have tried literally hundreds of different binocular models through our interactions with other birding enthusiasts.  All optics reviewed on this site have been tested by us in actual birding situations.   We hope our reviews and information can help you make an education purchasing decision.

So what are the best bird watching binoculars?   Ask 20 different birders, and you’re likely to get 30 different answers.  Are we talking about the best for the price?  Or simply the best overall binoculars you can possibly buy?  If it’s the latter and you’re willing to spend the money, the best pair of optics I have ever used (but would never personally own) are the Carl Zeiss Victory 8×42 FL T.  They are simply flawless.  Images are crisp from edge to edge, outstanding for when you need to focus up close, and they have great eye relief.  These will run you a very affordable (for Donald Trump) $1500 – $2200 or so.

If you’re looking for the best binoculars for under $500 or under $250 or under $100, then it gets a little harder to narrow down.   There are hundreds of models available, and it can be hard to sort the good from the bad.  But there are great binoculars at all price ranges and we hope to provide you with all the information you need to choose the perfect pair for your budget and experience.

We are in the process of releasing reviews of various models.   While we have tried hundreds of binoculars, we are in the process of writing up reviews on the best binoculars we have used and present them in a way that makes it easy for you to identify the key features and find places to purchase them at a good price.  We will be including actual user reviews in addition to our own opinions.

We will also be reviewing models we feel you should stay away from.

So feel free to browse through the links and reviews of some of the best bird watching binoculars on this site and please feel welcome to contact us at any time.

Winter bird watching can be great fun and the perfect way to spend those lazy winter days.  In Pennsylvania, there are over 30 different species of birds that can be seen at bird houses and feeders throughout the winter months.   A terrific activity is trying to see how many you can identify in your yard or favorite birding location.   The number and diversity of birds you ultimately see will vary based on your location and surrounding, with wooded areas usually seeing a greater number of species.  According to the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, one back yard in SE Pennsylvania saw 25 different bird species over a single winter season, but this is not typical of most locations.

The best way to learn how to identify birds in your yard or your feeder is to acquaint yourself with the most common species and to get a field guide so you can identify the not so common ones.   You can usually find good field guides at bookstores, local libraries, or at sites on the internet.   But to get started, you can easily just research and learn about the most common species of birds and how you can go about attracting them to your yard.

Common Pennsylvania Birds

According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the 10 most common birds seen at Pennsylvania are as follows:

1. Dark-Eyed Junco

2. Mourning Dove

3. Tufted Titmouse

4. Northern Cardinal

5. Blue Jay

6. White Breasted Nuthatch

7. Downy Woodpecker

8. House Finch

9. American Goldfinch

10. Black-Capped Chickadee

Attracting Birds

To attract birds, you should set up feeders with a variety of different seeds and foods. There is a huge variety of bird food you can buy, and each will attract a different species of birds. For example, black-oil sunflower seeds are popular with the Titmice, Nuthatches, Chickadees, and other small species. Jaybirds and Cardinals like the striped sunflower seeds. Peanuts can be used to attract Blue Jays, Chickadees, Titmice, and Woodpeckers.    Other popular seeds include white proso millet and thistle. White proso millet is popular with many birders because it is inexpensive, but should not be used if you don’t want to attract birds like the House Sparrow and Brown-Headed Cowbird. Thistle or niger seed can be used to attract finches.  You can also purchase seed mixes that can be used to attract a variety of different species. In my opinion, if you’re going to buy one type of seed, the one to go with is the black-oil sunflower seed which attracts many popular smaller species of birds.

Bird watching or birding in the winter can be great fun and a cure to those winter blues.  A great activity is to keep a notebook of the dates and times that you have identified certain species of birds.  Try observing at different times of the day and using different seeds to see what kind of birds find your location.

Additional Resources:

Peterson Field Guide to Birds

Ask a number of birding enthusiasts what the best binoculars are and most of the time you’ll hear brands such as Swarovski, Leica, Zeiss, etc. Nikon is often left of the list. This is a shame, because Nikon has a few models that are perfect for bird watchers and compare admirably with the more expensive and so called top-of-the-line models.

Nikon has a long history of producing quality binoculars and makes a wide variety of binoculars. Models include their ProStaff Waterproof, Premier LX SE, Action Extreme ATB, StabilEyes, Travelite, Ocean Pro and many more. Perhaps one of their best models for birding is the Monarch ATB, in particular the Nikon 10×42 Monarch ATB model which are not only great for bird watching but for almost any other activity you could think of.

The Nikon 10×42 Monarch ATB Binoculars have features that rival optics costing upwards of $1000, but for a fraction of the price. They’re waterproof and fogproof. They are also very rugged, coming with a rubber armor and shockproof body. The optical clarity and colors are outstanding. The knob for focusing is easy to access and large, making it quick and easy to focus. Nikon offers a lifetime no-fault guarantee, so it’s possible this could be the last pair of binoculars you will ever need to buy.

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Additional Nikon 10×42 Monarch ATB Binoculars Features:

• Magnify Power: 10x
• Objective Lens Diameter: 42 millimeters
• Eye Relief: 15.5 millimeters
• Weight: Very Light 21.2 Ounces
• Multi-coated for luminous, crisp, unclouded, and clear optics
• Extended viewing made easy with precision align optics
• Easy to operate. Great style.
• Rain Proof, Water Proof, Fog Proof
• Solid and rugged construction with rubber armor and shockproof

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Birding Related Reviews of the Nikon 10×42 Monarch ATB:

“I use the binoculars for birding and the viewing and animals and wild life have found the 10×42s to be outstanding. They are small and compact, lightweight, bright, and the colors are sharp. I’ve used them now on many bird watching expeditions and have been able to spot birds that those with more expensive optics were having trouble seeing. I highly recommend these.”

– Mandy G.

“I love these binoculars. They are great for everything from bird-watching to spotting wildlife in fields and valleys. I’ve owned a number of binoculars and these are my favorite for watching birds.”

– Mike S.

I have tried many types of binoculars (including the top of the line models) in the field and these binos match up against the very best. The big model binoculars such as Swarovski, Leica, and others are wonderful but not worth the enormous price difference. I use the Monarch 7432 10×42s for everything from birding, to watching bears in Alaska, to staying on top of the action at the Steeler game. In all situations, these binoculars perform great.

– Sam W.

The overall reviews of these binoculars are outstanding. See all reviews here.

For the best price on the these great binoculars, check them out at Amazon. They offer free shipping and great customer service.