The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Birding

For participants (that is to say, for you), the Great Backyard Bird Count is a fun opportunity to learn more about your local birds. In much of the United States, the count takes place during the winter doldrums, providing a welcome shot of nature and color. Honing your observation skills and finding unexpected birds in your own backyard is exhilarating.

Start by taking note of birds as you encounter them. You don’t even have to change the events of your daily routine—just your level of awareness. What do they look like? What do they sound like? Where do you find them? What are they doing? What time of the day is it, and what season?

First, get familiar with your local birds. If you live in a city in North America, then pigeons, house sparrows, and starlings are very common, as they’ve adapted to urban environments. If you live in a suburban or more rural area, you might frequently come across crows, doves, sparrows, or jays. Whatever the birds, get to know them well. They can then become helpful reference or “yardstick” birds for you to compare with new species you encounter.

Comparing birds is a great way to hone your skills of differentiation, and you can do this even without a field guide or external reference source.

Each bird species has evolved over time to certain physical and environmental conditions, such as climate and terrain, as well as to other species in a web of interactions. Thus, seeking out a variety of habitats—such as woodlands, grasslands, wetlands, deserts, etc.—will expand the range of bird species you encounter. You can always start by exploring your yard or street. Then, try heading to a local park, green space, or wetland.

If you’d like to plan a bit more, try exploring birding hotspots near you on eBird, an online database for world-wide bird sightings. The website is extensive, and you can find an interactive map here. For those who want to check the accessibility features of a trail or birding area, the Birdability Map, created by the National Audubon Society in collaboration with Birdability, is a helpful interactive resource.

Different birds are active at different times of the day. Most birds are diurnal, meaning that they sleep at night and are awake during the day. So generally, morning–especially early morning–is a time when these birds are actively foraging, and thus easier to observe through sight and sound. There are also nocturnal birds, like owls and nightjars, that are awake at night and sleep during the day. Though these birds are hard to see in the cover darkness, they can often be heard, and dawn and dusk are good times to catch glimpses of them. For raptor lovers, mid-morning through mid-afternoon can be best to view birds of prey during migration, as these birds frequently use thermals, or upward currents of warm air, to soar long distances. Thermals are heated by the sun, generally starting around 8 am, and are strongest during midday.

This leads to the point that the question of when to watch birds relies greatly on the time of year. Birds’ life cycles follow the seasons. Here in North America, about 75% of bird species migrate, traveling hundreds or even thousands of miles twice a year to find the best habitat and food sources for survival. Migrating birds typically fly north in the spring to breed in areas with long stretches of daylight and abundant food sources, then migrate south in the fall to winter in warmer climes. Thus, most people will see the most variety and density of birds during the spring and fall, as hundreds of species are on the move. And, because it takes enormous amounts of energy to fly these distances, birds spend longer periods of time feeding. Most birds migrate at night, and you can track them by listening for their flight calls on a quiet night, or by fixing your binoculars or a telescope on the moon when it’s full, and watching them pass. These birds land at dawn to feed, so early mornings are spectacular times to observe birds during the spring and fall migrations.

You don’t need any specialized gear to bird. But if you want to enhance your ability to find and study birds, and/or if you want to learn more about birds and how to identify them, here’s our short list.

What are the best binoculars for birding? First, you’ll want to consider several factors: magnification, the brightness of the image, the field of view, the speed of focusing using the focus wheel, durability, fit, and comfort. Look for a pair with adjustable eye cups so you can be sure your bins are the right distance from your eyes to give you an unrestricted view (no dark crescents or shadowing around the edges).

Binoculars are typically specified with two numbers, such as 8x42. The first number is the magnification power; in this case, they will magnify the image 8 times that of the naked eye. The second is the diameter of the objective lens, which is the lens on the far side of the barrel from where the eye goes. The wider the diameter, the more light the lens will let in, making the picture brighter and with better color rendering.

Many birders like to use magnification 8, though magnification 10 is good for hawk watching or observing birds at a farther distance. The higher the magnification typically makes the field of view smaller, though, making it harder to capture a fast-moving bird. Also, magnification amplifies hand movement, so it’s harder to keep the view of higher-magnified binoculars steady.

For fit and comfort, much of this is personal preference. Most birders use binoculars with an objective lens diameter of either 42, which is considered full-sized, or 32, which is considered mid-sized. The 42s will let in more light, so consider if you plan on birding in low light conditions, such as dawn or dusk. The drawback is that they are bigger and heavier. If you don’t want to think twice about lugging a pair of binoculars around with you all day, you might want to consider 32s, which are lighter and smaller—sometimes significantly so. Of course, there are various ways to carry binoculars, and a harness, which distributes the weight to both shoulders, can alleviate fatigue.

You should always try out a pair of binoculars before purchasing, to be sure they fit you well and you’re happy with the image, focusing, weight, fit and hand-feel. And because price impacts quality and durability, we suggest you invest in the best pair you can afford. They will be your constant companion on birding adventures, and may last you a lifetime.

Acquiring a field guide is often the first step to learning how to identify birds, especially if you bird mostly on your own. We love books, and having a beautiful one handy by your window or coffee table makes getting to know your area’s birds an easy and enjoyable break from any routine. If you plan to take your field guide with you on your birding outings, make sure you choose one that’s small and light enough. For this reason, many field guides are broken down by geography, such as the Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America, and the Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America.

Bird field guides are typically either illustrated with paintings or drawings, or use photographs (though oftentimes more specialized guides will use both). Both are helpful, and personal preference will guide which kind you use when starting. We use both. Photographs capture a specific individual, in focused, realistic detail. With illustrations, an artist renders an idea of the species. For us, this sometimes helps communicate an impression that is easier to map to different individuals seen in the field, rather than matching a photo of a unique individual to another one that’s usually seen with less clarity and detail.

Technology has changed birding in many ways, and this includes formats for field guides. When Roger Tory Peterson created his first portable field guide, it changed people’s ability to identify birds in the field, because they had a portable reference to consult when needed. Similarly, birding smartphone apps have made birding more accessible. Here are a few digital tools we recommend starting with:

eBird 
eBird is an online database created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to document bird observations across the world. It’s an incredible resource to explore locations and what birds have been observed there, and also a powerful tool for science. By creating an account and logging your own bird observations, you not only have a way to track your own birding statistics in one place, you contribute it as data in an important citizen science project. Researchers across the world use the information in eBird as a way to understand bird populations, distributions, and trends. eBird can be used via its website or via its smartphone app.

Merlin Bird ID
This smartphone app, created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, helps identify birds anywhere in the world. By asking you simple questions about the bird and using your location, Merlin gives a list of possible matches. It also has a great sound ID feature that listens to the birds around you and shows real-time suggestions for who’s singing. You can download it here.

A good notebook is an excellent tool to record and remember your sightings, or to sketch and journal about your experience. The act of writing or drawing reinforces learning, and the creative activity can enhance your birding hobby.

Keeping a bird list
Keep records of your bird outings and sightings in either a portable notebook you bring into the field, or one you keep at home to jot notes in afterwards. Try including information like date, time of day, duration, location, weather, distance traveled, number of people in the party, and of course the bird species found (seen or heard), with a count for each. Also try adding details such as impressions, behavior, field markings, or the age and sex of a bird (if you can tell). If you aren’t sure what the bird is—try noting your thoughts, or what’s confusing. Later, if you share your findings with another birder, this information may help them identify the bird.

For a notebook with some serious heft, we recommend the Sibley Birder’s Life List & Field Diary. Meant to last a lifetime, it includes a checklist of all known North American birds and space for personal notes.

Journaling & Sketching
We love this bird passport and field journal—it’s small, light and flexible, a format that’s great for field studies. Each spread opens flat and has specific data fields to fill in, as well as a nice clear page for free sketching. A bit of structure can sometimes prompt creativity!

• Size: How big is the bird? Try comparing it to a bird or two you are familiar with, perhaps a pigeon, robin, or house sparrow. For example, you might note that it is larger than a house sparrow, but smaller than a pigeon. If there are other birds near it, compare their sizes. And get to know your local “yardstick” bird—that bird you see a lot and can reliably call to mind for comparison. 

• Shape of the overall body: What shape is the bird’s body overall? Is it roundish, elongated, blocky? Top- or bottom-heavy? Does a particular body part draw attention, such as the legs, bill, or neck? For perched birds, what is its posture? Is it more upright or more horizontal? 

• Shape of the wings in flight: Consider the overall wing proportions—are they long and thin? Short and wide? What about their profile shape—are there individual feather tips or slots between feathers visible? Are the wings rounded? Pointed? 

• Shape of the bill: Is it long and thick like a Great Blue Heron’s? Or short and stout, like a Rose-breasted Grosbeak’s? Is it hooked, like a bird of prey’s? Flat and wide, like a duck’s? Curved, like that of an Ibis? Small and fine, like a warbler’s? 

• Shape of the tail: Is it forked, like a Barn Swallow’s? Notched, like an American Goldfinch’s? Rounded, like a Blue Jay’s? Pointed, like a Mourning Dove’s? Square-tipped, like a Sharp-shinned Hawk’s? 

• Other field marks to note: 
  1. Color(s) and overall contrast
  2. Wing bars
  3. Eye ring, eye line, eye brow, eye arcs or crescents, spectacles
  4. Other facial patterning (crown, cheek, nape, throat)
  5. Tail patterning
  6. Chest/body patterning: spotting, streaks, banding, necklace or breast band

 Explore and consider the sounds a bird makes. 

• For vocalizations, is it a long or short vocalization? A song is usually considered a longer vocalization with multiple notes or parts, whereas a call is a short vocalization of one or two notes. Birds vocalize to communicate, and a song might be used to attract a mate or defend a territory. Oftentimes, a bird will perch while singing, sometimes in a prominent place. A call might be sounded in flight or when foraging. When listening to a vocalization, consider how many parts it has, and its overall qualities. Is it rising or falling? Is it buzzy? Clear? What is its speed? 

•  Some birds’ wings make sounds as they fly, like a mourning dove or a woodcock. 

•  Woodpeckers drum with their bills not only to forage but to communicate. 

Where do you find a bird? What habitat? Where is it in relation to the ground? Is it on the ground, in the understory, or in tree canopy?
Where do you find it in relation to water? Is it in water, on the shore, and what kind of water/wetland (salt, brackish, fresh)?

• Feeding behavior – How does it forage or hunt? What does it eat? A bird eating seeds might forage on the ground, on grasses and flowers, or in a tree. Seed-eaters also frequent bird feeders. Birds that eat insects might hover in the air (flycatching) or creep along a trunk, probing with their bill. Wading birds often stalk the shore silently, barely moving until they dart their head down to snap up a fish or lizard. 

• Movement – How does it move? Consider flight style and patterns. If it's on the ground, does it hop or walk? 

• Social behavior – Is it social or solitary?