Bird Watching Hobby
Birds come in all shapes and sizes. Some are quite vocal. Others have colorful feathers. And watching them can be a great way to spend your leisure time. Birdwatching or birding has become a popular outdoor activity over the years. There are more and more people taking up this new hobby. Mainly because it doesn’t take much knowledge to get into this. It is relaxing and can be done at your own pace with whatever little time you have.
Table Of Contents
Getting Started
For whom
So bird watching is for whom? A common misconception is that the bird watching is for the old and the retired. There is no such thing. There is no age limit or any other qualification to become a birder. Anyone and everyone can start bird watching at any time. You may even be a birdwatcher already, even without you knowing it. Just think of the last time you stopped what you were doing to admire some beautiful bird. That is the start of the birding experience. You just need to build upon that.
Where
The best thing about birds is that you will find them anywhere and everywhere. Birds live in the snow, in the sea, in the deserts, and lush tropical forests. Birds are in remote villages. At the same time, birds live among the skyscrapers in the most densely populated cities. Birds are there on every continent and in every country. So, wherever you are, you can start birding by looking out from your window. It is as simple as that.
With whom
Most people love birds. As you go out there and look for birds, ask others to join you. Teach them the names of different birds and little things you know about those birds. It is one of the best ways for you to memorize the bird names by teaching others. People will love to hear what you have to say. Soon they will call you to tell you about the new birds they see in their gardens. Or start sending you photos of the birds they have seen.
Birding As A Group
You can do birding all by yourself. Or you can do it as a group. It is ideal to have a smaller group rather than a bigger one. More people would mean that there are more eyes to look for birds. But if your group is too large, that means that the chances of birds getting scared of is higher. So ideally, two to four people is a good number for a birding group.
Birding With Children
Children are naturally fond of animals. They have a fascination with birds. So, if you have young kids at your home, join them in the bird watching activities. They will love to go around the garden with you looking for different birds. And teach them the good practices of birding in the right way. They will soon become excellent birders themselves.
Things To Do And Not To Do
Observing Birds In Natural Habitat
The critical lesson in birding is to find the birds in their natural habitat. That is why watching caged birds is not considered as birding. And always keep in mind that you are just the observer. Do not cause distress or chase them off from their natural habitat. If you do so, then you are doing something seriously wrong.
Learn The Bird Anatomy
As you are getting more serious with birding, you need to start learning the bird anatomy. Birds have different types of feathers. And there are various names to different parts of the wings. And you need these names to differentiate between similar-looking birds. So, it’s a good habit to start learning the bird anatomy at an early stage of birding.
Best Time Of The Day
You can spot birds at any time. Some of the birds are usually active throughout the day. But most birds tend to be most active during the morning and evening hours. So, these are the hours that are best for birding. By noon birds are no longer staying out in the open. Therefore, it becomes hard to spot them during these hours.
Not To Disturb The Behaviors
A critical part of birding is not to disrupt the actions of the birds. Most birds are easily scared off by humans. So, if you get too close to them, they will try to flee. Therefore, you will disturb their feeding, mating, or nesting. So always make sure you keep your distance when observing the birds. And try to remain stationed in one place rather than moving around.
Not To Disturb Nesting
Nesting is a crucial stage in the lives of the birds. It is the time they are most stressed out and anxious. A nest would make the birds quite vulnerable to predators. So, they are naturally very protective during this time.
On the other hand, everybody loves to see a mother bird feeding the hungry youngster. And there is so much charm in a bird’s nest that you may want to have a closer look. But nests are something you need to be very careful with as a birdwatcher.
If you are observing a nest, never try to touch the nest, eggs or the chicks. Stay at a considerable distance and observe. Be very silent and try to stay still as much as possible. If the parent birds get panic and start making noises, back off.
Birding Frequency
Birding like anything else needs constant practice. You need to be out birding at least once or twice a week. Otherwise, you will soon forget the names of the birds. You will quickly find it difficult to identify a bird as you did before. This can end up in frustration.
You don’t have to go on a road trip every week to see birds. Just go to your local park and try to spot birds as you casually jog in the morning or evening. Go to the beach and try to locate the different terns and gulls. Or just sit by the window and look out and spot the garden birds.
Bird Feeders
But it is undoubtedly an excellent way to get yourself familiar with birds. And soon, you will build up that relationship with birds. You will start to admire them, start to love them, and start caring for them.
This is important for you to become a better birder. And the birds who come to your feeder are not that scared of you. So, you can have a better look at them by getting closer to them. And observe them from the comfort of your home or your very own window.
This squirrel Buster Legacy squirrel proof bird feeder makes an excellent choice.
Ornithology
Field Of Ornithology
Ornithology is the field of science that studies birds. You don’t have to learn ornithology to become a bird watcher. However, it is good to know that there is a specific arm in zoology that is devoted to studying birds. For example, you may be a banker, or an artist, who has nothing to do with science. Just remember that there are people who study birds as a career.
Most of the things known about birds today are the result of the hard work of these scientists. They have worked hard to identify different types of birds and correctly name them.
Bird Species
The significant part of the birding is to identify different species of birds. It is estimated that there are about 10,000 different bird species in the world. And this number is not constant since some are unfortunately lost to extinction. Other species are divided into two or more species with new research. And then they are some species getting merged into one. Different species may have two or more subspecies in them.
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of naming. It is the ornithologists the ones who are responsible for naming different birds. There is a lot of technical jargon going into the taxonomic nomenclature. And then reevaluating the species and subspecies; merging them and dividing them.
Still, as an average birder, you do not have to bother yourself with such technicalities. Remembering all the names of the birds can be daunting, and the bird guidebook is your best friend.
Equipment
Notebook Or Journal
Then the color of the feathers, shape, and size of the beak. Also write down the description of what it was doing; what type of fruit or insect it was eating. And if possible, make a simple sketch of the bird you saw.
Then as soon as you go home, you can refer to your guidebook and find out the name of the bird. This is the best way to learn new bird species. Alternatively, you can use your smartphone to keep these notes.
Birding Guidebooks
Some guides are specific to a geographical area. Get a book relevant to you and see how many of the birds you have seen. If will give you the exact kind of motivation you will need to go out and look for more.
There are multiple online resources and mobile applications to use as guides as well. Sometimes these come in handy as you do not have to carry extra books to the field. But if you love the feel of the book in your hands, you are always welcome to use a physical guidebook. The National Geographic Field Guide To The Birds is probably the best bird field guide you can get and it’s very popular among bird watchers.
Binoculars
But any birder would agree that a pair of binoculars are a must for you to bird outside your garden. A binocular can show you things at a distance. This is very important in birding as the key is to observe the birds at a distance without disturbing them.
There are a few types of binoculars. That differs from the zoom power, water resistance, and many more. Choose a pair of binoculars based on your budget and your needs. A great choice of binoculars is the Nikon 7237 Ex Extreme All Terrain
You need a wide-angle field of vision to track birds with ease. Most of the time, people use 8 x 40 or 10 x 42 binoculars. A starting budget is around $ 200 – 300. you are going to use your binoculars for many years. So, it is a good idea to buy something which will last for a considerable period.
Here is a quick tip regarding the use of binoculars to spot birds.
When you are locating the birds, first do it with your naked eye. Then use the binoculars to have a closer look. If you try to spot birds with the binoculars, you will soon find that it is tough as your field of view is very narrow. You will easily miss most of the birds.
Monocular
Alternatively, some people opt to purchase spotting scopes instead. I have several reviews of the best spotting scopes you can find it here.
Hides
There are mobile hides like tents, which you can set up within a few minutes. Then there are permanent hides made of wood. Both work in the same manner by hiding the bird watchers so that the birds will come closer for them to observe.
Cameras
As you get more invested in the bird watching, you will get more familiar with birds and their habitat. And you will soon want to keep those memories with you forever. The best way to do is to take a photograph. But your smartphone camera will be of little use to take photos of birds. Even a simple point and shoot camera will not be all that useful.
Bird photography is entirely a different field, which will be discussed later. Bird photography needs powerful DSLR cameras. They also require long telephoto lenses of anything more than 200 – 300 mm. A lot of professional bird photographers use 600- or 800-mm prime lenses, which cost a fortune to buy.
This camera is extremely popular and although I don’t presently own this model it is on my list for a future purchase.
Appropriate clothing
You can do bird watching in your pajamas when you are birding in your backyard. The birds in cities and closer to houses are used to bright colors. So, you can wear a gorgeous red dress or a shirt and go birding in a town. But it is not the same in the wild.
The birds in the wild are not used to humans. If you wear something bright, the birds will see you from a mile away and fly away to avoid you. So, you need to wear dark colors. Black, brown, and green colors are suitable for birding in most climates. White is ideal for snow, but birding in the snow is for the more advanced birders.
Benefits
Relaxation
Bird watching will take you to places with immense natural beauty. It is very relaxing to be in the middle of a jungle, away from the chaos in the world. Birds themselves are quite charming. You will soon realize you can keep looking at them for hours at times.
As A Hobby
Bird watching is a perfect hobby. Good binoculars and long telephoto lenses can cost a fortune. But you can do birding without most of this expensive stuff. A decent pair of binoculars will be all you need to do birding.
As A Profession
While most do bird as a hobby, it can also turn into a decent trade. There is a good demand for bird watching in the travel industry. And people who travel to other countries for birding always wish to have a useful guide. It is tough to know good birding locations without some local expertise.
Going professional is a very remote possibility when you are just starting. But as you acquire more skills and passion, you will see the opportunities starting to come your way.
Birding Basics
Identifying Birds
The first thing in birding is to identify the birds you see. As a bird watcher, you should be able to name the birds you see. Your guidebook will help you with the identification, point out what are the key features. But it is a skill you must master over time. An excellent birder can identify a bird by narrowing down the possibilities. They use the shape and size, key features, habitat, and the season to narrow down to a few species.
Identifying Bird Calls
More experienced birders can identify birds by merely listening to their cry. It’s a skill that will master over time and will come in handy as you go out into the wild, where the visibility is low. You can use online resources to search for bird calls. Listen to them in your spare time and try to remember them. And when you are in the wild, use your smartphone to record the sounds you hear. Then you can go home and use those sounds to identify the birds you heard.
Endemic Birds
Most birds can fly over long distances. However, birds are also confined in certain areas due to their feeding and other needs. As a result of this, some birds are only found certain countries or specific regions. These birds are called endemic to that country or the region. Looking for these endemic birds is a part of the birders’ life. Start by looking for the endemic birds in your area/country. It is an excellent place to start as it will give you a realistic target to achieve over a few years.
Rare Birds
House Sparrow is the most common bird in the world. But on the other hand, there are scarce birds in the world, which are very hard to see. Birders are very fond of seeing such rare birds. Whenever such a bird is seen, you will see a lot of photos and field notes about seeing such rare birds.
Bird Watching vs. Bird Photography
Bird Photography
There is a constant debate over birders and bird photographers. But often, most of the prominent bird photographers are good birders themselves. They know the birds very well.
For example, let’s think about taking a photograph of a kingfisher. The kingfisher sits on a branch over a water body and patiently waits till it sees a fish. And then it dives in and out of the water in a flash. It catches the fish so fast that it is almost impossible to take a photo of the action. This can make the novice bird photographer quite frustrated.
But the experienced bird photographer knows the behavior of the kingfisher very well. He knows that the kingfisher returns to the same branch with the catch, to where it was before the dive. Therefore, the experienced bird photographer keeps his focus on the same branch. He knows that the bird will return with a catch to the same branch, and it’s only a matter of time.
How It Differs From Birding
Most of the time, it is the novice bird photographers who break the rules – or ethics – in birding. For instance, they move very close to a nest to get the ‘perfect shot’ and, in doing so, puts the nest in danger. Such photographers also feed half-killed lizards to birds to get photos of the birds with a catch.
This kind of activity has created friction between bird photographers and birdwatchers. Even within bird photographers, there is the competition to get better shots. And they often hide the locations.
Doing Both At The Same Time
Nothing is preventing a birdwatcher from becoming a bird photographer. The vice versa is the same. If you do not do any harm to the habitat or the birds themselves, you can do both at the same time.
Important Facts About Birds
Bird Migration
Bird migration is a significant phenomenon in birds’ life. Every year, hundreds of thousands of birds migrate. They migrate from wintering parts of the world to tropical climates. They travel through the coastlines and mountain ridges and over vast ocean stretchers.
This annual migration usually takes place in late Autumn, around September and October. The birds leave their nesting grounds in the north and start moving south in large flocks. The destination is the feeding grounds in the warmer countries to the south.
And by late March and early April, the migrant birds start to head back north to their breeding grounds. It is a fascinating time for birders along these migrant routes. As one can see hundreds of different bird species all within a small geographical area as they pass by.
Feeding
As a birder, you must understand the feeding patterns of birds. A standard tip of finding rare birds is first to locate their food source. For example, if a specific bird eats a fruit, you can wait by such a tree for the bird to come. The same goes for insects and fish. If you can locate the pray and then if you wait long enough, the bird you wanted to see will come to you.
Bird Calls
Almost all birds make calls. Different calls have different purposes. Some of them are to call out for their mates. Others are to inform the flock about a food. Others are to alarm of danger. You will learn about the calls over time.
Mating
Birds are generally quite colorful. Their colors are an adaptation for mating. In the bird world, males are usually more colorful than the females. Mating season is one of the most exciting periods to observe birds. They make unusual gestures and lovely calls.
Nesting
Nesting is a big part of birds’ lives. Different birds make different types of nests. As you get more experienced, you will be able to tell different kinds of birds by looking at the nests.
Community
Fellow Birdwatchers
Birdwatchers are usually very friendly people. You will find many birders who will happily share tips and tricks with you. They will tell you where you can find a rare bird, at what time you can see it, and how to get to the location, and so on.
If you are serious about bird watching, there are many groups and societies you can join.
Field Trips
A great way to start learning about birds is to go out with a group of fellow bird watchers on field trips. You can find such a group in your community and arrange a field trip with them. Experienced birders will point out the birds and tell you how to identify them. And they will happily share their knowledge. It is a great way to understand what is birding and get familiar with the tips and tricks birding in general.
Online Communities
Then there are the online communities of birding. If you go to Facebook and search for birding groups in your area/country, you will come across so many such groups. Some of these groups will have professional birdwatchers and experts in ornithology. They will have tons of knowledge to share with hobbyist birdwatchers.
Online Resources
There are also online resources you can use. Ebird.org is one such site. It allows you to keep track of all the birds you have seen. Since remembering all the names of the birds you have seen can be a daunting task.
There are many other Android and iOS applications you can download to your phone and use in the field. The primary mission of all these things is to record what you see. In simple, it will replace your field notebook. As well as provide you with resources like identifying birds in identifying bird calls.
Conclusion
Bird watching or birding is a fast-growing outdoor activity. It is for anybody who has the willingness to go out and see birds. The more you see birds, the more you will understand them. And you will start to respect their right to live and be more conscious about saving their habitats.
You do not need much to start birding. A pair of binoculars, a field guidebook, and a notebook to take notes are basically all you need. So, start bird watching today itself and reap the rewards of this relaxing and fascinating pastime.