Throughout the week our Division of Birds will help mark the #SpringMigration of our feathered friends.
Today they’re giving tips on how to get started as a birder—one of the fastest-growing hobbies—even while staying safe at home. #NatureNerding101
Today they’re giving tips on how to get started as a birder—one of the fastest-growing hobbies—even while staying safe at home. #NatureNerding101

Where to begin your bird-nerd journey? All you need is a window. #DYK there are ~11K bird species? Look to the sky for raptors and down for sparrows. Passively observing nature is a great way to reduce stress too.
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis). #NatureNerding101

Most birders use binoculars. “Binos” come in a range of magnifications stated as A x B, where "A" is the amount of magnification and "B" is the amount of light the lenses let in. The most popular configurations among birders are 8 x 42 and 10 x 42. 
#NatureNerding101

#NatureNerding101
Field guides are very useful, so beginning birders should carry one. Looking at a bird and then a guide can help you learn which features to keep an eye out for. There are great apps and online tools too, like @MerlinBirdID and @inaturalist. #NatureNerding101
Do #CitizenScience! Upload your sightings to @Team_eBird's app and help researchers track the movement and distribution of 

. It’s also a fun way to note your neighborhood species and compete with other bird-nerds.
One of our ornithologists logged 800+ birds in ONE year!



One of our ornithologists logged 800+ birds in ONE year!
Now, how to identify a bird. It’s all about using your observations and location to narrow down the range of possibilities; pinpoint specific characters; and make an ID. Noting that a waterbird is NOT a duck is great start!
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) #NatureNerding101

Bonus: if you see a bird soaring in the sky, it is most likely a hawk or a vulture. #NatureNerding101
Left
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
Right
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaciensis)
Left

Right

When birds are brightly colored, try to at least remember its most striking color. Pay attention to conspicuous color patches on its back or head, like the black stripes and yellow lores on this White-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicolis). #NatureNerding101
Next, take some mental notes on the bird’s characteristics:
Overall color and pattern
Bill shape, color, and size
Leg color
Tail length and shape
: Bonaparte's gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)





In time you’ll be able to assess something birders call ‘gestalt:' the overall shape, posture, and proportions of a bird. Learning the gestalt of different species can help you to quickly identify common birds. Even in silhouette!
Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor)

Cardinals give loud clear whistles and wrens make rolling musical warbles. Pay attention to common birds and their distinctive
.
Listen to this @MacaulayLibrary recording of a Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus), made by @NMNH's Jacob Saucier. https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/177810681

Listen to this @MacaulayLibrary recording of a Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus), made by @NMNH's Jacob Saucier. https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/177810681
Need some more inspiration?
Read this piece written by one of our research associates (and avid
and
er), ornithologist Bruce Beehler. https://thehill.com/changing-america/opinion/491551-rediscover-nature-during-a-time-of-coronavirus
Read this piece written by one of our research associates (and avid


Okay. Take a break from your screen.
Look out the window. Start birding.









#NatureNerding101 #SpringMigration
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus).
Look out the window. Start birding.









#NatureNerding101 #SpringMigration
