Bird watching or birding is a very popular hobby that includes the
observation and study of birds. Because visual observation of birds is
complemented with auditory observation, the term “birding” is more accurate. Birding
is the second most popular outdoor activity in America, second only to
gardening as the number-one recreation.
For many people bird watching is an opportunity to feel close to
nature. They also enjoy the relaxation and peacefulness by watching birds. Some
birders, however, will travel long distances just to see a rare bird. These
birders are known as twitchers. Twitching is popular in Britain and several
other European countries.
Most birders start out by watching and attracting birds to their
own backyards. Bird feeding can benefit birds and also provide great bird
watching. You can attract a variety of interesting birds to your yard by
selecting and offering the right kinds of food. The common types of food
offered in bird feeding are seeds, nectar, suet and fruit. Early morning is the
best time for bird watching since many birds are then searching most actively
for food.
Once you start feeding birds, you’ll probably want to identify who
is coming to visit. Equipment used for birding includes binoculars, a blank
notebook, and one or more good field guides.
Field guides are books with pictures and descriptions of the
birds. A field guide shows birds of just one country, or one region of a
country, or one habitat.
Binoculars are described by two numbers: 8×32 for example. The
first number tells you the magnification power of the binoculars. The second
tells you the size of the objective lens at the end of the binoculars in
millimeters. Most bird watchers think that 7 or 8 power is about right for most
birding.
The next step is to broaden your birding experience beyond your
own backyard. Plan a trip to a bird sanctuary, national park and other
locations where you can see birds in large numbers. Wherever you go, never harm
the birds and always respect other birders.
And don’t forget to join a local birding club. Clubs organize
field trips, show films of good bird watching destinations and some of them are
involved in local environmental projects. Also visit your local library and
check out books on birds and ornithology.
