Bird watching has become a very fun and interesting activity once I became more familiar with what I needed to know when doing it.
One thing I needed to familiarize myself with was identifying the birds that I watch. This can be quite challenging when the bird is far away. Since birds are energetic and active animals, you need a clear and quick eye to be able to see as many details possible in such as very short period of time.
My process for identifying birds is to first take a photograph of it. I then load the image into Google Images where I can view similar images. This usually leads me to the correct identification. When that doesn’t work, I upload the photo to the What’s This Bird Facebook group where experts can quickly identify the bird for me. I then use AllAboutBirds.org to get more details of that bird.
Aside from being too far away from you, other problems that you might encounter—especially if you are a first time bird watcher—is the dim light shaded by trees, the glint of sunlight that can affect your sight, and the hidden places where birds go to play. So, when you are into bird watching, it is always best to have a general knowledge on bird’s attitudes and observe them carefully. You might not name them properly the first time but you definitely can the next time if you pay proper attention in observing them.
The following are just of the helpful tips that can help you in your very first bird watching session:
Always keep on eye on one bird.
When you are bird watching, try to spot only one bird that catches your attention. Once you have seen one, don’t take your eyes off it because it might fly to a place where you cannot see it. Having a field guide in print form or online is helpful to identify the bird once they’re seen. Once you know what is it, take time to observe its physical details as well as its behaviors and mannerisms. Make sure that you observe the bird’s movements, markings, feeding habits, songs, color, and size so you can easily identify it the next time you see it.
Make sure that you listen intently for the bird’s calls and song.
Although listening for a bird’s song is easy, it doesn’t stay long in a person’s memory. What you should do is to listen intently when the bird calls or sings and play the bird’s song in your mind repetitively. Listening to a bird’s call and song is important because it can help you identify the bird even without seeing it.
Take time to estimate the bird’s shape and general size.
The average shape and size of the bird will give you a huge clue in finding out the family it came from. In bird watching, make sure that you assess its overall appearance and take note of its approximate size and shape. Once you can tell from the size and shape of the bird what kind is it, then you are doing good.
Pay attention to the bill characteristics and facial markings of the bird in sight.
Taking note of unique markings on their faces can be one of the hardest things to do because so many of the birds are so small and they keep moving all the time. It is also equally hard to take note of characteristics of its bills but can be important in identifying them.
Photographing these birds makes it much easier to get these details. You can take your time observing its head by looking for any distinguishing hue patches or color strips. These can be present in their eye lines, crowns, napes, and arcs or in the rings.
