10 Helpful Hints for New Birders

Hint #1 
You need a field guide for your area. A field guide is a book with pictures of the birds and tips for identifying them.

Hint # 2  
You need binoculars to see the birds. You will soon discover an ironic fact; the best birders have the best binoculars, even though they can identify a bird 100 yards away by its silhouette alone. Newcomers with a cheap pair of binoculars will only see a fuzzy ball of feathers and will not have a clue at which bird they are looking. There is an unbelievable difference between a $79 and a $900 pair of binoculars.

Hint #3  
You need to know what to expect in your area. Checklists of birds in your area will tell you which varieties are indigenous to the region and will, therefore, likely be seen. Many local parks have checklists of birds seen in the park.

Hint #4 
You need to be able to find the birds. To do this, you should learn about the habitat each species of bird prefers.( Does it like to spend its time at the top of a tree or on the ground or on a lake?) You should learn the bird songs of the birds in your yard. Later, learn the songs of other birds in your area of the country. You might even buy a book that can tell you about good spots in your area to look for particular birds.

Hint #5 
Join a group of other birders. Birders are very friendly and helpful; they are always willing to share their knowledge. Join a local club or, if all else fails, go to the park or local birding sites with your binoculars. Someone is sure to strike up a conversation and they might lead you to a whole new group of birding buddies.

Hint #6 
Try a birding trip or tour. Local bird trips are sometimes advertised in the newspapers. To find out about local trips you should also call your local rare bird alert phone number. At the end of taped messages there are often announcements about bird trips in your area. Trips may last a morning or most of the day and are usually free of charge. You might also want to join a professional bird guide on a tour. Tour guides charge for their services, but are worth every penny. Birding tours can take you all over the world.

Hint #7 
Read about birds. There are many good magazines about birds and birding. There are also thousands of books about birds. Birder's World, Bird Watcher's Digest and WildBird are all good magazines for new birders.

Hint #8 
Bring the birds to you. You can attract birds to your yard with just a little work. Planting the right flowers will attract hummingbirds. Sunflower seeds will bring lots of new birds to your house. You might even want to build a bluebird house.

Hint #9
Record your bird sightings. You might want to keep a diary or a list of the birds you see in your yard. You can also keep a list of birds you see in your town or on your vacation. Birders often keep lists for their province, state or country. They may also keep track of birds seen in one day, one month or one year.

Hint #10 
Have fun, ask lots of questions and be respectful of birds and their natural habitat.