Birding Goals for 2023

A new year is here, and for some us that means setting goals to achieve over the next 365 days. We can't give you advice on career goals, diets, or money saving (we feed birds so we don't know anything about money saving 😆). But we sure know birds! Here are some of our favourite birding goals to help you get the most joy out of birding in 2023. 

Golden-winged Warbler singing in canopy

Learn bird song
Identifying birds by sight is one thing, but learning their unique calls can open up a whole new world of birding. By studying the various calls of our native bird species, you will quickly learn that each species has its own set of distinct calls, or vocabulary so to speak. Knowing the difference between a mating song and alert call can help you identify when nesting season is beginning, or when a threat such as a domestic cat is present in your yard. Being able to distinguish calls can also help you choose which foods would be best to offer, for example, if you've heard the loud call of a Northern Flicker but haven't seen any at your feeders, you may consider offering a high-quality suet or particularly palatable Bark Butter to help draw them in to view. One way to help you get started with birding by ear is to utilize smart phone apps like Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Merlin allows you to download packs of regional species information, record birds calling in-app, and then IDs them for you in real time! It is remarkably accurate when there is little interference from outside noise (vehicles, people talking, etc), and is a great way to learn how to pinpoint different calls to figure out who is making them. 

Practice mindful birding
Birding is always talked about as being a peaceful and relaxing hobby, but this isn't always true. Sometimes the birding world can be competitive, exclusionary, and just downright stressful. Mindful birding a way to practice birding that lets go of the pressure to list every species, seek out rare birds, or have the best equipment. It allows you to be present and be one with nature that surrounds you. A quote from my interview with Kelly-Sue O'Connor of Birder Brain explains it best: "... mindful birding is not putting pressure on myself to list or chase. It's going to the woods or the water and just being with birds and surrounded by nature. It allows me to enjoy each moment and be present. With my mental health diagnoses being present at any given time feels like an impossible task. When I first spoke to my therapists about my inability to stop the constant noise in my head, they were sharing different skills for me to try and I failed at all of them miserably. When I started talking about birding we both had an AHA! moment. Birding was my mindfulness, birding was a way I knew how to be present, it interested me enough that I cared about nothing else around me. I didn't care about my past, present or future, I was just there."

Introduce someone to birding
Introducing someone to a birding is a great way to spend quality time together & to help protect birds and their habitat. An introduction to birding could be as simple as gifting a field guide and a bird feeder, building a bird house with a child, or taking a walk at a local park together and listening to all the different birds. Whether in-person or long-distance, you can bird together by sharing your sightings, photos, and questions with one another. Bringing joy to someone's life by way of birding is one of the greatest gifts as it is a lifelong learning journey that doesn't require money to enjoy. 

Indigo Bunting

Find a "lifer"
A lifer is a bird species you have never seen before in your life. These birds, whether common or rare, are very exciting for birders of all experience levels. To find a lifer you first need to choose your target species, and then research as much as you can about their habits, where they nest, what they eat, what they sound like - anything and everything. Setting this goal for the new year can help you get in more birding time and reward you with knowledge and experience of all things in nature including your target species. 

Ruby-throated Hummingbird feeding on Cardinal Flower

Start a bird-friendly garden
Growing native plants in your yard is key when it comes to attracting wildlife and creating a truly bird-friendly habitat. We are fortunate in Ontario to have a plethora of native flora available to us to not only make our yards pleasing to the eye, but to create habitat for our wildlife species to thrive in. Why choose native over non-native - plant's a plant, right? Not quite. Native plants help to stabilize soil, and typically require less water and management in comparison to non-native plants. Native plants know the land. They know our wildlife, and our wildlife knows them. They co-exist with our natural species, rather than compete with them. Studies have shown that our native bird species will actively seek out native fruit-bearing species to feed on before non-natives. In the fall, fruit is an important source of nutrition for many of our migratory species as insect populations dwindle. Some tree and shrub species to include in your yard to attract a wide variety of fruit-eating birds (orioles, waxwings, thrashers, catbirds, bluebirds, warblers, and more) include:

• Staghorn Sumac, Red Osier Dogwood, Canadian Serviceberry, Chokecherry, Mountain Ash, Nannyberry, Winterberry, Elderberry. Click here to learn more about plants in your area, and for tips on choosing the right species for your yard. 

Whatever your goals for 2023 may be, we wish you nothing but happiness, success by your own definition, and of course - birds! 

Happy trails!
- Shayna