Bird Watching
What to Look For:
When you see a bird that you don't recognize, try to
pick up as many details as possible. This will
help when you try to find the bird in a guide book.
Size. Is the bird small - like a
sparrow, medium sized - like a robin, or large - like a
crow?
Colors on breast, wings and tail. Is the
bird one solid color? Are there patches of color
on the wings and tail? Is the bird's breast a
different color or streaked?
The head. Is the head one color? Is
there a stripe through the eye? Does the bird have
a crest?
Bill: What color is the bill? Is
the bill long, or short? Is the bill conical or
thin?
Binoculars:
Binoculars help you get a closer look at birds.
Even if the birds are fairly close to you, much more
detail is visible with binoculars. Practice
using binoculars so you are comfortable using them and
focusing quickly.
Recording Your Observations
Backyard Bird Lists: Try keeping a list
of all the birds you see in your yard. Take note
of the date you see the first of each type of bird.
You can compare your bird list with your notes on when
you added feeders, nest boxes, water features, and
plantings to your yard, to see which bird attracting
strategies are working in your yard.
You can also keep an observations log. Just
record the date, time, species, and any interesting
observations or behavior.
Report Your Observations
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
sponsors a number of projects through which you can
report your bird watching observations.
Visit their website and become part of their
citizen-scientists team.
Bird Photography: Many
people enjoy photographing birds. It is nice to
have a photographic record of the birds you have seen,
and it is challenging to try to get a good, clear photo
of these flighty subjects.
Here are some web sites that offer good
tips on bird photography.
