According to a recent U.S. Fish and Wildlife survey, 76 million Americans currently enjoy the sport of watching birds. It’s easy to understand why. Birds are colorful, interesting to watch or listen to and relatively easy to attract to our backyard. Getting started in bird watching or "birding" does not
require a lot of specialized equipment, just a good pair of binoculars and a field guide that helps identify the bird. There are more than 750 species of birds found in the U.S. Often, as people get more involved in birding and proficient in identifying birds they start to keep lists of the species that they have seen. Since different species are found in different habitats and areas of the country and bird watchers often travel to see new species. Texas is
one of the premiere locations in the country for birdwatching. To help preserve this sport, the American Birding Association and National Audubon Society promote adhering to sound birding ethics.
The best way to get started birding is to go with someone who has already been doing it for
a while. If you don't have friends that bird, consider joining one of the local organizations such. They hold regular meetings and organize field trips with local experts. Many good book and nature stores have an excellent selection of books, videos, magazines and tapes on bird watching. Birding is also a popular Internet subject. Learn to identify common local species using your field guide and audio tapes. Consider putting a bird feeder and/or bird attracting native plants around your home. Because different birds live in different habitats, try to visit as many different habitat types as you possibly can. Many state and national parks and forests are great places to go bird
watching. Most of these sites have developed bird lists that are available for little or no charge. Be sure to check out other online sources of birds and birding information Choosing and Using a Bird Guide |
A good beginning bird guide has clear color pictures that point out easy to recognize
characteristics. This helps you separate one species of birds from another in the field. The guide includes information about what habitat each species uses, a map showing its range in the U.S., if, where and when it migrates and what it’s song or call sounds like. The better guides point out seasonal color changes, similar appearing species, and provide information on how to tell them apart. These guides may cover one part of the country or the entire U
.S.. Three of the best guides currently available are the "Field Guide to the Birds of North America" by the National Geographic Society, "Birds of North America" by the Golden Guide series and any of the Peterson Guides. For Indian sub-continent i would prefer To use these guides effectively, the beginning birder should read the how-to-use sections.
Now let's see why each of these sections is important. Bird Anatomy Bird guides typically show a generalized picture of a bird and list the parts of its anatomy. This is important because as you read through the birds descriptions next to their pictures
the guide will often use these unfamiliar terms. To the beginner many birds look alike. By learning basic bird anatomy more experienced birders soon become proficient not only at telling species apart, but also knowing where in the guide to look for them. Bird anatomy also provides clues to where birds live, what they eat and what general group they belong to.
Range Maps Range maps tell a birder if that bird is found in the area. This is extremely helpful if you are trying to eliminate similar appearing species. Range maps also tell you when species are in the area. Some birds are year round residents, some are found in areas only in the summer
or winter, some pass though during migration, and some accidentally wander in for short periods of time. Through the use of different symbols and colors range maps can tell a birder that information. Unfortunately, these colors and symbols vary from one guide to the next. Local bird lists (available from local birding organizations, parks and chambers of commerce) also help birders decide what birds are located in the area and when they are
likely to be found there. Field Guide Organizational System Bird field guides start with a section on how to use the guide. Pictures and descriptions of the birds follow. Birds are listed in the order established by the American Ornithologists Union
. This starts out with water birds, progresses through birds of prey, and ends up with perching birds. Knowledge of this allows experienced birders to flip to the section of the book that contains the bird that they are looking for. The back contains an alphabetical index of birds by both their common and scientific names and boxes where dedicated birders can check off new species. The American Birding Association and National Audubon Society recommend the following guidelines: Stay on established pathways and keep motor vehicles on established roads and parking areas. Avoid harassment; don't disturb birds that are nesting or their nesting areas. Do not handle eggs or young or tarry too long at a working nest. Don't over-use audio playback tapes, Eastern Screech Owl or Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl tapes to call birds in. Don'trespass on private property. Respect landowner’s rights to privacy. Always ask permission first. Follow all USFWS refuge and State management area rules and regulations. Divide larger groups of people into smaller more manageable numbers when leading a
tour. Small groups cause fewer disturbances. When possible, car-pool. Leave no litter or trash. Pack your garbage out of wildlife areas. Ingested trash items can kill. Support the Texas Parks and Wildlife Departments Nongame Fund. A good portion of
the money donated goes towards management of nongame birds and their habitat.
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