How To Get Involved in Birdwatching

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If you think birdwatching is only for elderly people or bumpkins, you’re completely wrong. Believe it or not, birdwatching (better known to many as birding) is an activity that’s been growing in popularity among younger people living in all types of environments. Aside from learning more about nature, birds and life in general, there are also many health benefits to going birdwatching. It gets you outside more often and increases your physical activity. So, if you’re interested in birdwatching, here are some tips to get started.

Get a Field Guide

The great thing about birding is that you could simply go outside and do it without any equipment, prior knowledge or anything because there are birds everywhere. This isn’t the best approach though because while you might see some interesting birds, you won’t know anything about them. A field guide helps you identify and learn more about the birds in your area. So, before going outside, pick up one of these books (or smartphone apps).

Get Binoculars

Again, you could easily see birds with the naked eye, but binoculars will definitely make things easier for you. You should try to go for quality, but you don’t necessarily need binoculars that are too strong or it will be difficult to spot the birds.

Get Outside and Start Birdwatching

After you get a field guide and binoculars, the next real step is to head outside and start birdwatching. This usually sounds easier than it actually is. The best time of day to go birdwatching is typically the morning and the best locations are parks and wooded areas. It’s not difficult to go online and find prime birding locations around you. Then, once you’re out there start observing. You can usually even find an array of birds in your backyard at the bird feeder.

Slowly Begin Identifying Birds

While it’s fun just to watch the birds fly to and fro and observe their behavior, some of the real fun comes in identifying the bird. For a while, it’ll be very difficult to ID any birds, but with your field guide you will get much better in time, so it’s important to remember the birds you’ve seen, recognize their colors and make mental notes.

Find Birding Groups

Another fun aspect of birdwatching is the people. Birders are among the nicest and most passionate people you will ever meet and they are literally everywhere. Believe it or not, there are likely dozens of birding groups in your area for you to join or simply talk to. Parks and local colleges typically have weekly bird walks or bird talks. These are not only fun to go attend to meet other people, but you also get to learn a lot from more experienced people.

Make Lists

Some people get too bogged down in making lists for birds, but this is actually a great way to keep track of your birding progress and gives more clout to your birding credentials. There are a number of birding lists to keep, including life lists, state lists, backyard lists and year lists. Each of these help you keep track of your sightings.

Jack Thompson is a freelancer who writes about a variety of topics, including birding and tents for camping.

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