Birdwatching for Beginners

Birdwatching, or simply “birding”, is a great hobby to take up, as it gets you outside while not costing much, if anything. With spring fast approaching, there’s no better time to start birding.

1. Having some form of hand guide or species list is a very useful tool to have on hand while birding. These can be found at almost any bookstore or local library, or if there is an Audobon shop or outdoors-focused store in your area.
2. Many people use binoculars to enhance their experience and get a closer look at the birds themselves, typically with birds in their nests high in trees or birds that live in wetlands.
3. Dress suitably for the weather and ecosystem you’ll be visiting
4. Wear neutrals, as vibrant colors can scare off more timid birds.
5. Layer up if it's cold; you likely won’t be doing much moving so you won’t be generating body heat.
6. Wear proper footwear, especially if you're going into wetlands.

1. Decide where you will birdwatch
2. This can range from your own backyard to a local park, or even a live bird cam on YouTube. 
3. You can search for nature reserves or for state/national parks near you to find areas that will likely have a lot of birds.
4.  Bird cams can also easily be found by searching “live bird feeder cam” or even “live birds for cats” on YouTube; Cornell’s Ornithology lab has a few that are on 24/7.
5. Inform yourself about species in your area
6. Birding is much more enjoyable when you already have a general idea of the birds you will be seeing, so doing even a small amount of research before going will be great benefit.
7. This research can be done in a variety of ways: physical guidebooks, identification apps, or simply searching “common birds in (your area).”
8. Having these resources on hand while doing the birdwatching will also be very helpful, in case there is a species you hadn’t come across before.

1. Be in the moment!
2. Staying patient is a very important aspect of your birding experience; with the birds and with yourself. Sometimes, you will only see one or two species, but that’s okay, and you can just try again another time. You also don’t have to be able to identify every single species just by looking at a bird, which is why it's great to have a guide with you.
3. Speaking of guides, having a guide on your phone is a great resource that’s completely free and means you don’t have to carry around a physical book.
4. A great app to download is called “Merlin Bird ID” and is run by Cornell’s Ornithology lab. After opening the app, it shows you a list of regions all around the world for you to see bird species within. Once you download your region, you will be able to tap “Start Bird ID”, which then gives multiple prompts for you to input information about the bird you want to identify. Then, it shows you the possible birds it could be, as well as pictures and even clips of their birdsong.

1. Do it again!
2. Going birding again and again will feel very rewarding the more you go and the more positive experiences you have.
3. Go with family and friends to share your new hobby, or find local birdwatchers groups and learn from those more experienced.
4. Use birding as a way to explore new places; if you start in your backyard, go to a park or beach to see new species.