Radius & Flyway · Gear and books
Birding equipment and books
Practical buying guides, equipment reviews and reading for birders. Explore the compromises behind the specifications, and find books that help explain what you see.
Start here · Buying guides
How to choose birding binoculars
Magnification, image quality, fit and weight all affect the view. Learn what to compare, which compromises matter and when an upgrade is worthwhile.
Read the buying guide →Equipment reviews
Hawke Frontier ED X 8×25
A month with a light, compact binocular: sharpness and colour in good light, carrying comfort and the importance of accurate eye placement.
Read the binocular review →Book reviews
Bird Migration by Ian Newton
An accessible but substantial introduction to migration. What Newton explains, how the book works and which readers will get most from it.
Read the book review →How we approach gear
Reviews explain who an item suits, where the compromises lie and what the testing can establish. Buying guides help you judge whether a change will improve the birding you actually do.
Browse the complete gear archive →