Tips for Beginner Birdwatchers

Thinking about getting into bird watching? Welcome!! It's such a wonderful hobby. It encourages us to constantly learn, pause, listen, look - and take in the wonder of the natural world around us. As a beginner, it may feel like, where do you even start? It does not have to be a resource intensive hobby to begin with, here's a few recommendations: 

Start Close to Home:  This one may seem obvious, but you don't have to go far to see local birds. Often, your own backyard will do. Look around, see what birds you're seeing in your own yard. Learn how to identify them by sight and sound. A great resource for this is the Merlin Bird ID app. You can have it listen to your surroundings and identify the vocalizations and songs it is hearing, it identifies and shows pictures of the birds that are around. 

Red-Breasted Nuthatch at Window Feeder. Photo by Kristen Martyn. 

Start Small: you don't necessarily need a lot of 'tools' to get started, like binoculars or guide books. Armed with your app, you can literally invite birds in for a closer look to continue to familiarize yourself. Some easy and accessible ways to do this: 

• Get a Window Feeder - these are accessible, small, easy to refill, and encourage birds to feed right at your window, making for the perfect viewing opportunities 
• Get a Bird Bath - another great option, even birds that don't typically visit feeders will come to an open water source, which gives you the opportunity to closely observe and learn identification of more birds. There are even deck mounting bird baths which are super fun to sit and watch! 

House Finch at Deck Mounted Bird Bath. Photo by Heather Kerrison

• Grab a 'Share the Joy' starter kit - these are great to get a little start, as they each include a small feeder and food, essentially everything you need to start a feeding set up and attract more birds to your very own backyard 

Join a Group: Joining an online community like our Ontario Birds group gives you a point of connection with a lot of other birders. You can watch what people are sharing and seeing in their area, learn to identify more birds, and even ask for ID help yourself if you're stuck! You can actively participate or just take it in, either way it's a really valuable resource. 

We encourage everyone to become a birder - it's such a joyous hobby. 

Warmly, 

Heather