Norm, I hear you...and agree wholeheartedly.

Today's birders may be more affluent than in the past, hence they are doing more international travel.  These world travelers might consider local (i.e. North American) species to be rather mundane. I suspect the international flavor of the articles has a lot to do with meeting the expectations of this segment of birders.

Actually, one can see the same influence in the content of many talks and slide shows at local bird clubs.  Since I have little interest in "Birds of Peru, etc. etc.", I opt out of most meetings on the Montgomery Bird Club, for example.