How to Get Started

You see a bird outside your window. You hear bird songs welcome the day. A flash of brilliant colors flies by during a neighborhood walk. You are noticing birds and want to appreciate them or learn more about them. You are now entering into the birding world.

Oftentimes a first step is to get to know the names of birds you are seeing. As a novice, identifying birds can feel very overwhelming (gulls anyone?). I recommend starting with your yard or neighborhood birds. Watch them daily, get to know what they look like and their behavior. Figure out the names of these birds first. Then as you expand your knowledge, you will start to recognize your familiar birds in new places and compare them to unfamiliar birds. Make good use of field guides and apps that can help you narrow down IDs (see below).

It’s OK to make mistakes! Everyone does, from casual birders to experts. A great way to expand your knowledge of birds is to join a local Facebook birding group or Audubon chapter. Look for field trips with a group, which is a great way to learn about birds in more depth and share enthusiasm for birds with like-minded people.

Field Guides

If you are interested in learning about the names of birds you are seeing, then a field guide is a must. I recommend purchasing at least one physical field guide, which gives in-depth information about IDs. Popular choices include National Geographic, Sibley, and Peterson guides.

There are free apps and websites that will also help you ID birds. The following are popular choices:

• All About Birds website is a useful tool for bird IDs, birding tips, live cams, courses, and more.
• Merlin app for phones: This is a very useful tool in the field. It contains a picture list of birds in your selected region and has an interactive ID tool to help you narrow down which bird you saw.
• Audubon app for phones: Similar to Merlin, this has an integrated field guide, interactive ID tool, and a section dedicated to locating nearby hotspots.

Basic Gear: Binoculars

This is the most common piece of gear for birders. It allows you to see distant birds in greater detail. I offer some of my personal binocular suggestions below, but you can also check out Audubon’s Guide to Binoculars.

Budget Option: You can start with a pair of binoculars from a sporting goods store for under $50 if you’re not sure if you want to invest the money. The quality won’t be as good more expensive models, but they will certainly work. Go for 8×42, as that’s the standard.

Upgrade Option: I use the Nikon Monarch 5 (8×42), which is a recommended “lower cost” model by birders. They offer a sharper image that provides more details of your distant birds. I initially observed a bit of chromatic aberration (purple fringing), but I don’t notice it anymore and personally don’t consider it an issue.

Optional Gear

Scope & Tripod

This is good for spotting faraway birds that are out of the range of binoculars. That can include waterfowl, gulls, raptors, and more. Steady the scope with a tripod and you can use your phone to take pictures or video through the scope.

Camera

This is a good option if you want to document birds to study at home or submit documentation for rare bird alerts. It’s also a great creative outlet if you are into photography. Be sure to follow Audubon’s Guide to Ethical Bird Photography and Videography.

eBird: Bird Lists & Birding Spots

eBird.org: Birders often build what’s called a “lifer” list – a list of all the birds they have seen in their lives. An easy way to document this list is by creating an eBird account. It can be used on your phone or desktop devices.

In eBird, you submit checklists of the birds you’ve seen and it will keep track of your lifer list. An added bonus is that the data you submit will be used by ornithologists in their research!

If you create an account, be sure to enroll in the free eBird Essentials course. It’s a very useful tutorial that teaches you how to use eBird.

If you want to find popular birding hotspots or figure out a location in which a specific species of bird has been seen, their Explore webpage is quite valuable. I use it frequently.

Submit Your Tips

Have more tips for new birders? Be sure to leave a comment below!