bird watching tips
Bird watching is most likely one of the most widespread outdoor activities today. And every day more people become interested in it. Once called “birdwatchers”, and today known as “birders”, they include people of truly various backgrounds, from lawyers to policemen, doctors, truck drivers, teachers, children, young people and seniors. There are as many different types of birders as there are birds. Some are dedicated perfectionists who will travel around the world to see a new species of bird, others weekend hobbyists who enjoys watching birds at a feeder in their back yard or nearby park.
Bird watching why is it so attractive?
Why do such numerous people enjoy it? Even though different people may enjoy different aspects of this hobby, I think we can all agree that birding fulfills many basic criteria of a great outdoor activity. Birds please us aesthetically because most are beautiful and their colorful feathers are dazzling to behold. On the other hand, they intrigue us with their complex behavioral patterns and their varied and evocative songs which are also pleasant to listen to.
Maybe most important, birding doesn’t require great expenses. All that is really necessary is a field guide to North American bird species and maybe some binoculars (which can be purchased for as little as $30). Of course, as you get more interested, the expenses can increase (some finer binoculars or scopes can cost significantly more).
Bird watching is a completely nondestructive sport as far as the environment is concerned. There is no negative impact and the “target” animal is not harmed. Regardless of your success at identification, spotting a bird doesn’t hurt anybody or anything. Anyone can bird, even when simply walking alone. This can actually be a great way to escape from maddening crowds. But if you chose, you can also participate with your family, your spouse or children, or with any group of people who share your interest.
Birding is a great excuse to get you outdoors, to maintain your connection with the awe and majesty of nature. This hobby provides you with fresh air, light exercise and education about various places you visit. Observing flowers, shrubs, trees, butterflies and other creatures that share the bird’s habitat will make you appreciate how every aspect of nature fit into the greater scheme.
Observing seasonal migrations will remind you of the passing seasons. With their annual cycles of spring and autumn migrations, birds are among the most obvious signs of changing seasons and the passage of time. Birding can help you increase your self-esteem. Getting better at recognizing bird species will make you feel more successful and accomplished. While bird identification can be difficult, as you practice and study, you will grow more confident and your ability to connect various clues and positively identify a bird will increase.
Last, but not least, amateur birders are greatly appreciated for their continuous contribution to the scientific knowledge of birds.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO IMPROVE YOUR BIRD WATCHING SKILLS
Birding is a skill you’re not born with, but rather one you develop with time and practice. Even though there are numerous aids for novice birders, like books, videos, CDs and computer software, none of them can really substitute proper experience in the field when it comes to mastering the art of birding. Simply put, the more you’re out in the field, the better birder you will be.
A good place to start is by buying a good field guide. Don’t economize on this. There are several very good editions on the market which are both easy to carry and thorough. A good birder guide will cover bird species which live throughout the United States. That means from east to west and from north to the south. Two very good guides are the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America , and The New Birder's Guide to Birds of North America (Peterson Field Guides) You can find them on these links. Also, you can often find quality used guides at second hand bookstores.
You should learn the body parts of the bird. Good field guides will feature a diagram of the bird explaining and naming various body parts. Memorize the names of the bird’s body parts. Learn the definitions of the various parts, paying special attention to the feather tracts. This will be crucial for your communication with other birders and for understanding the information in the field guide. Know which groups of feathers are visible and when (if the bird is flying or perching).
Another key item is a good pair of binoculars. They enable you to bring the bird closer so you can better observe their distinctive body marks and their behavioral patterns. While top notch optics is very expensive, you don’t necessarily need the best ones. A good rule is to buy the best ones you can afford. For beginners a cheaper model is quite sufficient. And you can advance to a better and more expensive model as your knowledge and skills increase. Remember to try them out before purchase to determine if the size, weight and technical properties of the binoculars are right for you.
HOW SHOULD YOU CHOOSE THE BEST BINOCULARS FOR BIRD WATCHING
As there are numerous brands, styles and price ranges of binoculars, it can be very hard to decide which pair is the one for you. There are affordable binoculars for as little as $25 and expensive ones costing over $500. It’s not a bad idea to learn how binoculars even work before choosing the right ones. Your goal is to find a pair that serves all your needs and requirements but at the price you can afford. Remember that when it comes to binoculars, price does reflect quality. Both the quality of what you will see through them and their durability. But you don’t need to take out a loan to find a good pair of binoculars for your personal needs.
Below are some bird watching binoculars reviews
These are some basic facts about binoculars and how to apply them to your decision when buying a pair.
1. Binoculars consist of an objective lens (which focuses an upside down image), a pair of prisms (which turn the image right side again) and an eyepiece (which magnifies the image). However, when the light enters a pair of binoculars, each of the glass pieces inside causes a fraction of the light to be lost, so the resulting image is that much poorer. New technology has managed to produce special coatings which reduce the loss of light (some of them up to 95%). But normally, binoculars with those coatings will be more expensive.
2. Binoculars are classified by their magnification factor and the size of the objective lens (it looks like this, 10x42). The first figure denotes how many times will the image seem closer to you, and the second one denotes how many millimeters is the width of the objective lens.
3. Exit pupils refer to the light beams coming through the eyepiece. Their value is calculated by dividing the objective lens diameter by the magnification factor (A pair of 10x42 binoculars have an exit pupil of 4.2). The size of those exit pupils works in conjunction (or opposition) to your own pupils. For example, in low light it is better to have binoculars with larger exit pupils because your own eyes will have enlarged pupils. Vice versa is also true. So, before purchasing, you need to decide in what kind of light you will be using the binoculars and chose accordingly – larger pupils for low light, smaller for bright light. Also keep in mind that the older we get, the less our eyes are able to adapt to low light. Thus, for older birders it is recommended to buy a pair of binoculars with smaller exit pupils. And again, binoculars of better quality will produce a brighter picture.
4. The field of view is, clearly, what you see through the binoculars. This value is stated in the form of an angle or width. If you have trouble finding the desired object when you switch from the naked eye view to looking through the binoculars, you might need a pair with a larger field of view. Unfortunately, the increased field of view often means less powerful binoculars, as well as a shorter eye relief (the maximum distance between your eyes and the eyepiece still enabling you to see the whole field of view.). Birders wearing glasses might need a longer eye relief because their eyes cannot come closer to the eyepiece.
Which is the cheapest good binocular I should buy?
You can go to this link and check our cheap binocular section that features reviews binoculars under 100$ price and are still great beginner pairs.
Click Great cheap binoculars section here, ( to check under 100$ binocular reviews)
BIRD WATCHING, WHAT SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR WHEN IN THE FIELD
1. First try to determine the basic family of the bird. Although the bird’s color is the first thing you see, it is useless to compare a reddish duck with a reddish tanager. So the first thing you should ask yourself is: Is this a duck, a dove, a gull, a hawk or a heron? This should be your starting point.
2. What size is the bird? Compare its size to a bird you’re familiar with, like a robin or a crow. When you have determined the bird to be smaller than a crow, but still larger than a robin, you have managed to narrow the possibilities. Keep in mind that assessing the size can be more difficult in bad weather, over long distance and if the bird is solitary (no other birds to compare it to).
3. What is its shape? Is it slender shaped like a cuckoo or pudgy like a robin? How long are its legs, what shape are its wings, how long is its bill? Is its tail long or short and how is it shaped – forked, wedged, notched or rounded?
4. What does its voice sound like? Is it a unpleasant caw or a melodic warble? Does it maybe pronounce its name, like “Chickadee-dee-dee”? Maybe it has no distinctive call note? Does it rustle in the bushes when foraging on the ground, drum on tree bark like a woodpecker or maybe make swishing sounds with its feathers when flying?
If you liked this article, please check out Feeding Birds in winter.
Have fun and power to the birds!