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How to start bird watching

This article will help you with very first birding excursion. It details out the aspects to be considered for a birder like what to carry, where to go etc.
how to start birding introduction
Start bird watching with a pair of binoculars

What to do on your very first birding excursion?

One must know how to walk before one starts running. Similarly, you, our infant birder must start from square one. So what do you need to start bird watching?

Well, a bird guide and your eyes, and yes, a notebook for taking notes. But then again you could take notes on your phone and even have that guide on your phone. There are several birding apps available now, why don’t you try “MERLIN”? It’s a fantastic birding app. So yes, you could just walk out of your home with your phone and still do birding.

Let’s improvise. Get yourself a pair of good binoculars and your birding experience will upgrade by multitudes. A little homework done beforehand could help a lot you know. Before stepping out, just google the birds found in your area to give you an idea about what you might see and that’ll enhance the whole experience. Just scan the skies and trees, record what you see and look for more birds.

Wear comfortable shoes and dark-neutral colors when you go out for birding. And don’t forget to carry a bottle of water with you.

bird watching next step journey
Get started with your bird watching journey

The next step on your birding journey

Like every other journey, birding has levels as well. And do you know what the best part about it is? You can choose at what level you want to practice it.

  • Amateur, competitor, professional, or just a hobbyist, the choice is yours. Set your goal. Decide what you want to be.
  • You know all birders keep a list where checking off a name off the list is the task; of course after you spot the bird. Why not create yours now?
  • Some birders aspire to identify maximum birds by their calls. That’s like another level of birding.
  • Birding competitions and marathons are held all around the year. Participate.
    Most important of all, join some birding groups. Go on excursions together. You never know what you might learn from fellow birders.
  • Study about birds and learn about the birding hotspots. What next? Just pack your stuff, maybe tag a camera along with you and get, set, go!
bird watching step 1 in a group
Birder group can help you to start bird watching

Bird Watching Basics

Before you set off on birding adventure, there are a few things you should know about. What should you do while birding? These little tips will make your birding experience more enjoyable.

  1. Shush!: Loud noises startle birds and they flee immediately. So be quiet on your next birding trip, tread lightly through the woods and control that urge to shout “There it is, I see it! I see it!” I know it’s difficult but necessary. Instead try to whisper and the bird might stay and let you enjoy her company for a little while longer.
  2. No sudden movements: Birds are much more sensitive than you know. Even sudden movements can startle them and drive them away from you. So when you’re near a bird, think of yourself like a dancer whose movements are graceful and languid enough to seem like a lazy stream of water.
  3. Listen to that call and follow: Often times birds form flocks of mixed variety. Following the call of one bird can lead you to a plethora of birds perched on the tree together.
  4. Habitat Study: Each bird is accustomed to a particular type of habitat. Knowing the habitat beforehand helps in looking for the right bird in the right place. For example, you won’t find owls in bushes because they prefer hollows in trees.
  5. No strong perfumes: Also make sure you are not wearing a strong perfume, we recommend no perfume at all, again for the reason mentioned above, any smell can disturb birds and you may not see birds at all.
  6. Don’t ignore the common flocks: You might see a flock of sparrows perched on a tree somewhere and you might think to yourself there’s nothing here but there might be. Chances of spotting a new bird are always strong in a flock. So next time you see one, don’t just walk away. Observe them with the same enthusiasm and who knows you might even see a lifer.
  7. Bright clothes? No!: Camouflage is an art. Why do we do it? For we want to blend-in with the surroundings. We don’t want to attract attention and that’s precisely what is required in bird watching. So ditch the reds, pinks, yellows and say hello to blues, grays and blacks. Dark neutral shades which make you less conspicuous are the way to go.
  8. Patience: A very tough pill to swallow, I agree, and yet the most rewarding. Patience is the essence of bird watching. Birds don’t and won’t move about according to your whims and desires, so you have to be patient until they decide to do so on their own.
  9. Look for the right light: Position of the sun can change your birding experience. If the sun is behind the bird, no doubt you’ll get some amazing silhouette photographs; you’ll just find it difficult to ID the said birds. If the sun is behind you and bird in front of you, you’ll be able to see the bird in its full glory and identification would be much easier.
  10. Pishing: When bird becomes obstinate and refuses to come out, you might have to try to lure her out. Birders call it pishing- “making small repetitive noises to gain attention of bird”. This could be any small sound like clicking of tongue, or pish ,or psst or a really small soft whistle. It varies from birder to birder.
bird watching step 3 ethics to follow
Ethics to be followed by birder

Birding Ethics

The dictionary defines “Ethics” as moral principles that govern a person’s behavior or conduct of an activity. It is essential to follow principles because not doing so results in problems not just for the self but for others as well. The Birding community has some principles as well; better add them to your book of code too.

  • The welfare of birds precedes everything else
    • I cannot emphasize how important this is! The welfare of birds comes before everything else. No matter how badly you want to photograph a Wynaad Laughing Thrush, if your actions cause disturbance to the bird, back off! Immediately.
    • You have to be extra careful around nests. No audio playbacks near nesting areas and also near heavily birded areas. And respect the bird’s territory. No one likes it when their personal space is invaded. Not even animals and birds.
  • Ensure your actions do not harm the environment.
    • How about you tread cautiously, carefully when you go exploring the wild? In the same way that you do when you visit somebody’s house; because, literally, that’s what you’re doing.
    • So see to it that you don’t trample the vegetation, or break the branches, and stay on the treads and paths already present instead of carving out new ones.
  • Respecting the rights of others.
    • No matter where the common kingfisher flies off to, if that’s somebody’s private property, you gotta stay away mate. Trespassing is a serious issue and certainly looked down upon.
    • It’s also bad manners to park your vehicles in others’ driveways, lawns etc.
    • And one important thing, don’t aim your optics on people and their homes.
  • Group Birding
    • Keep your birding groups small and divide into smaller groups if the place demands it. Have a civil, social and peaceful demeanour. And never forget that your behaviour affects how future birders would be treated in the areas where you have been. Leave a good legacy for other birders.
    • And yes, be vigilant and cautious that your photography-pursuit of a bird doesn’t become a hurdle for the other birders present there.

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Author

Architta Tayal
A curious soul inside and out. Finds the crooning of birds as enticing as the songs of Ed Sheeran. A student of IIM Indore, she is a nature-lover and a die-hard fan of birds. Having grown up in Uttarakhand forests and wildlife became a part of her, a rather important part which she now hones and grooms with birding and then writing about it.
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