A compact binocular can be smaller than a cell phone. Great Horned Owl

Thanks to compact binoculars, I turned what I thought was an everyday Red-tailed Hawk into a new record Great Horned Owl. We were wrapping up tennis when I spotted a big bird land in a snag across the park. In the twilight it was just a silhouette, but I was thinking Redtail. Anxious to share the sight with my tennis partners, I grabbed my compact binocular out of my tennis bag and took a quick look – Great Horned Owl! Backlighted by the setting sun, this burly owl made quite an impression on my friends. It was also a new record for me in this very urban patch – eBird species number 40. Thank you, compact binocular!

Smaller, lighter binoculars are easier to pack and carry, especially when birding isn’t your primary purpose. For me, this means I’m more likely to carry them, which means I’m more apt to go birding. On business trips, for example, I sometimes have 30 minutes or an hour of free time between meetings. With my compact binocular available, I’ll explore the hotel parking lot looking for birds. Without my binocular, I’ll end up in the lobby watching SportsCenter on television.

You can tuck a compact binocular into a brief case or backpack, take it to ball games and other outdoor sporting events, keep it in the bag on a bike or in a golf bag. With a compact binocular available during all these activities, think about all the birds you could be seeing!

For day-to-day birding, most people prefer a full-size binocular that provides a larger field of view and brighter image. Because they are slightly heavier, they can reduce vibration. But the extra size and weight can be drawbacks when birding is incidental to other activities. That’s when the compacts really shine.

How much do full-size and compact binoculars differ in size and weight? On the Swarovski website, their full size binoculars weigh about 30 ounces, a mid-size model tips the scale at 17 ounces, and their pocket version is only 12 ounces. The pocket version is about one-half the dimensions of a full-size model, and it can really fit into a shirt pocket, fanny pack or pocketbook with ease.

If you’re not already a user, consider acquiring a compact binocular to increase your birding opportunities. Think about it this way: How many times have you been in a situation where you wished you had a binocular, but didn’t? It happens to me way too often. With a compact model tucked away, you have less chance of missing another bird.

Article by Peter Stangel

There are many models of compact binoculars; the following are links to some good examples: Vortex (http://www.vortexoptics.com/category/binoculars) Swarovski (https://www.swarovskioptik.com/birding), Zeiss (https://www.zeiss.com/sports-optics/en_us/nature/binoculars.html), Bushnell (https://bushnell.com/Products/Binoculars?page=1) and Optics for Birders (http://www.optics4birding.com/binoculars.aspx)