Birder’s Birdwatching Tips
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What is the first thing you think when you see a new or rare bird in your yard? Have I ever seen it before? What color is it?
NO. You think Wow. What kind of bird is that!
You watch the darling bird eat at your feeder and when it flies away you call your birdwatching friend. You tell her all about what just happened and her first question stops you short.
Bird Friend: How big was it?
You: Oh small.
Bird Friend: How small? Like a cell phone? Or like a robin?
You: No, smaller.
BF: Hm. Do you know what a chickadee looks like?
You: No. What color is a chickadee? This one was brown.
BF: Thinks “AH. Valuable hints have arrived. You have color, approximate size, LOCATION, behavior. Rule out the black and white Chickadee.”
And so the conversation rolls along,sometimes to a successful identification with a birdwatching guide over a cup of tea, sometimes in frustration.
These tips might help you describe and identify the birds you are seeing. The experienced birder will generally ask some of the same questions. So pay attention to these details and see how many you can notice before you call for identification help.
SIZE
How big is the bird? As big as a breadbox? A cellphone?
COLOR
What color is the bird? This is often overlooked in the excitement of SEEING the bird for the first time. Is the top the same color as the bottom? Were there any stripes?
SHAPE
What shape was its head? Did it look like it had a hat on? Was it a flat head? What shape was its bill? Like a cone or like a needle?
ACTIVITY
What was the bird doing? Flying, perching, swimming, diving, eating or just sitting on a nest, this puts the bird into some frame of reference.
ALONE or in a FLOCK
Was the bird alone? Or was it in a flock. This narrows the field a lot.
SOUNDS
Did you hear the bird make any sounds? Can you describe or record them? Will you recognize them when you hear them again?
LOCATION
Where did you see the bird? As with real estate. The importance of location cannot be underestimated. A Magnificent Frigate Bird will not be seen in MY backyard. Was it a forest ? Or meadow? Or swamp?
So when you call your friend, know there are many aspects to seeing and identifying birds. Bird guides help. If you ask enough questions, she might even buy you one to study! Your birding friend might recommend that you take a birding course online.
Bird-watching and caring for the environment comes naturally to Donna Paul Bessken who was a field naturalist and educator on top of her fields of interest. Donna’s free newsletter of better birding is widely acclaimed for her creative approach.
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