Birding
This page is meant as a general guide for birdwatching.
What is birding?
Birdwatching (birding for short) is a fun activity that involves observing birds. Birding can be done anywhere - alone, with a group, in your neighborhood, on a hike, or spontaneously. Birding is much easier with binoculars or a spotting scope.
Northern Cardinal (source)How to
| Location | Anywhere, but the most number of species hang out near ponds, lakes, beaches, marshes and wooded areas. Check with your local parks. |
|---|---|
| Best Time of Day | Early mornings (6 AM to 9 AM) |
| Equipment | Any binoculars with 8x magnification or similar. You don't need anything expensive. I use these binoculars and they work pretty well. |
| Field Guide | A physical field guide book isn't needed with the Internet, but it's still nice to have. Personally, I prefer the Stokes (picture-based) field guide for the realism. Some birders prefer Sibley's (illustration-based) and others. |
| Reference Guide | I like using this page to verify individual birds seen. Check out the Merlin app as well. |
| Bird Checklists | Use eBird to create checklists! It manages all your bird sightings in one place. |
Resources
Google is your best overall resource. For specific birding websites, check out eBird, All About Birds and Birdwatcher's Digest.