Birdwatching Resources to Help Step Up Your Hobby

About Nicole Pajer

Nicole Pajer is a Los Angeles-based freelance published in The New York Times, Woman's Day, AARP, Parade, Wired, Glamour, People and more.

Have you gotten into birdwatching? You’re not alone! It’s an activity that 96 million Americans consider to be a hobby. Bird watching has even been linked to an array of health benefits, like improved mood and mental wellbeing.

Whether you're an experienced birder or just starting to embrace the hobby, there are a variety of tools and resources available that you can use to enhance your experience. Here are 5 resources – and one bonus one – that can help you take your bird watching to the next level.

1. The right pair of binoculars

Yes, you can birdwatch with your eyes, but looking at birds through the lens of binoculars can add an entirely new dimension to the journey. It can allow you to see birds from further away and can help you to zone in on the tiniest of details – from the red stripe on the side of a red winged black bird to the color of the beak of a neighborhood blue jay.

There are many different pairs of binoculars to choose from, ranging from beginner models that are more affordable to very high-end varieties. “For beginners, we recommend getting a size typically around 8x40 or 8x42,” says Mukesh Ramdass, head naturalist guide at HADCO Experiences at Asa Wright Nature Centre.

To pick the pair that works best for you, visit a local sporting goods shop, and try some out. You can also order some online and put them through the test, returning them if they aren’t the right fit. Check for things like:

Are they hard or easy to focus?
How do they feel in your hands and up against your eyes?
Are they light enough to carry around or do they feel too heavy to put in your purse, hang around your neck, or toss into your pocket?
Do the eyecups fit your eyes, or do they feel too big or small?
Do you like the field of view when you look through them?
Does the field of view work for you? Does their range work for you in terms of the environments you’ll most likely be birdwatching in (your local park vs. on an African safari)

2. A field guide

Looking at birds can be fun but when you’re ready to take your hobby to the next level, it can be nice to learn more about each species and variety of bird you encounter. One great way to do this is to pick up a bird guide that talks about the birds local to the area you are birdwatching in. If you live in Michigan, for instance, you might want to pick up a book about local birds in the Midwest. If you’re going out of the country and want to go birdwatching somewhere like London, a book about birds of London will do the trick.

3. A bird watching app

“Field guides provide illustrations or photos and descriptions of bird species, helping you figure out what you've found,” adds Ramdass. He notes that some books can be bulky in the field. If you don’t want to cart a book around with you, try downloading bird identifying apps like Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab or eBird on your phone. “These apps often include bird calls/songs, can help suggest IDs based on your location and description, and integrate with online databases,” he says.

4. A Checklist

Heading out to a park with a list of all the birds you could see in the area – and being able to check them off one by one when you see one – can be incredibly rewarding. A birding checklist provides a simple way to keep track of the birds you have spotted on a particular outing or in a specific location. “It helps you remember what you found, and it can be very satisfying to tick off species as you progress on your birdwatching journey,” says Ramdass.

Local birding clubs, nature centers, or national park visitor centers often have printed checklists for their area. “Birding apps like eBird also function as digital checklists and allow you to contribute your sightings to citizen science databases,” adds Armadas.

5. A Notebook and Pen/Pencil

“Recording quick notes about the birds you see can help broaden your scope and understanding of the avian species,” says Ramdass. This can be especially helpful if you’re out in the field and aren’t sure about what type of bird you encountered. If you didn’t bring your guide with you and aren’t sure what type of bird you saw in the moment, this enables you to save these details to help you track down the information later. “Details like size, shape, color, unique markings, behavior, habitat, time of day, and even a quick sketch are useful details that you can use to connect similarities among various subspecies,” says Ramdass.

Optional: A camera

If you’ve gotten good at identifying birds and want a fun way to document them, consider bringing a camera along on your birdwatching outings. “This is not necessary for starting, but a camera (even a phone camera with a decent zoom) can be useful for capturing photos to help with identification later,” says Ramdass. If you get really into taking photos of birds, you can show your friends who share your hobby and can even print a few out to frame in your home or magnet to your refrigerator.