Once you have a good pair of birding binoculars, you might want to think about a spotting scope.  A good spotting scope see birds much farther away than even the best binoculars for bird watching.  They are especially good to watch birds in their nests caring for eggs, feeding young, etc.

A spotting scope will be much more powerful than your binoculars so you’ll need a tripod to hold it steady.    *Just a note.*  Many spotting scopes come with a light weight, table-top tripod.  While these are useful, a good full size tripod will make your spotting much more enjoyable.

Here are three highly recommended spotting scopes:

Under $600

Nikon 20-60X82 8311 Prostaff Spotting Scope

See for yourself why customers say, “Wow” when they first look through the Nikon Prostaff spotting scope. Describing the view from this scope as bright doesn’t do the Prostaff justice. Nikon uses lead and arsenic-free Eco-Glass for high resolution images and fully multi-coated optics for increased light transmission. With the versatile magnification offered by the 20-60x zoom eyepiece, the 82mm objective lens gathers plenty of light in the forest and delivers distant details on the plains. The Prostaff comes with the Nikon 25-year limited warranty.

Customer Review

“My friend and I are in a bird research program. We find, map, and study birds of prey. I recently bought a Nikon Prostaff 20-60 power spotting scope. On one of our outings we decided to compare my scope, the Nikon with his a Swarovski 20-60 power. We set them up side by side looking at the same objects. After looking a each object he said to me “your scope is brighter, clearer, and has more contrast than mine.” I had to agree. The only thing the Swarovski was better at, no color fringing. The Nikon had a small outline of red when set at 30 or more power. The cost of the Nikon about $600, the Swarovski over $1700.

“I hope this review helps someone trying to make a choice in the complex world of buying a good scope. Oh, and by the way, the tripod sold with the Nikon scope is terrible. Invest in a good set of legs, you’ll be glad you did.”

-D. Bowers, Salt Lake City, Utah

Under $200

Bushnell Trophy 20-60×65 Waterproof Spotting Scope

Have a look at your boot soles. If they’re worn thin by miles of trail, the Trophy series is your spotting scope. It’s built to withstand the punishment of the harshest terrain. Compact and rubber-armored, the 100% waterproof design is available in two zoom ranges up to 60x magnification.

Porro prisms and premium, multi-coated optics ensure a bright, clear picture. For stability at high magnification, they come with a compact tripod. Finally, to protect your investment, premium, sturdy, hard-side and compact soft-side carrying cases are included.

Customer Review

“My wife wanted to see the eagles at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Eastern Oklahoma. We couldn’t get closer than 1/4 mile to the nest. This scope brings the bird up so close you can see the feathers ruffling in the wind!
Great buy!”

- Larry W. Evans, Oklahoma City, OK

Customer Review

“I’m on a mile wide scenic river and wanted to watch birds, wildlife and not so wild life (ex. see if anyone is catching fish). Great product at a good price however a 60″ tripod is essential for my casual observations.”

- E. Ewing, Midcoast Maine

Near $100

Barska Blackhawk 20-60×60 Waterproof  Spotting Scope

w/Tripod, Soft Carry Case & Premium Hard Case

The Barska Blackhawk 60mm spotting scope is a terrific value because it offers very good optical performance in a compact and affordable package. The scope itself features waterproof design, multicoated optics, and a zoom eyepiece with magnification ranging from 20X up to 60X.

The accessories include a light weight table-top tripod, a soft carrying case, and a durable hard shell case that will allow the rubber armored scope to stand up to a lifetime of use.  Backed by Limited Lifetime Warranty.

Customer Review

“We’ve been using it to watch the wildlife out at a pond about 140 yards from the house. Not only can we watch the painted turtles climb up on the turtle log, we can even see dragonflies land! And we never would have been able to watch the kingbirds with binoculars!

“The icing on the cake was when we looked at Saturn and Venus a couple of weeks ago. Boy were we surprised when we could see Saturn’s rings! Then we looked at Jupiter and could distinguish 3 moons! We LOVE this scope!”

- L. Lonning, USA

Customer Review

“I was hesitant to buy due to the apparent low price, most top end scopes are $500+.  I hemmed and hawed for months then decided to buy.  This scope is amazing, great zoom function, clear lenses, nice carry bag, the hard sided case is nice too.

“The only thing for me is the tripod is small for birding, the provided tripod is good on a table or if you are lying down, I already had a full size tripod and the scope works great on it.  I use the mini tripod for my camera so it does not go unused.  I use the scope for birding and it zooms in on birds hundreds of yard away.  A definite great buy for me!”

- Alan G. Jones, USA