Birding Provides a Treasure Hunt of Enjoyment

By Joel Sauder, Regional Nongame Biologist More and more people are discovering that bird watching provides an enjoyable outdoor activity. Not only does birding send you outdoors, it can give you exercise, make you think, and hones your observational skills. Although birds can be elusive, this adds an air of mystery to the sport, since you never know what you'll see. From watching birds at a backyard bird feeder to international trips to view rare and exotic species, bird watching is a wonderful sport that can be enjoyed by everyone. In fact, over 46 million people in the United States enjoy watching birds, spending over $32 billion dollars annually on expenses related to birding. And these numbers are growing each year. One thing that makes birding so attractive is the feeling that you are on a treasure hunt. Sometimes you will see a new species that can be added to your "life list," as many birders keep a list of all the species that they observe. Sometimes you can see a new bird behavior like a territorial display or a breeding ritual, and sometimes you'll observe interesting things that have nothing to do with birds at all, like a muskrat chewing on a cattail stalk or whitetail deer fawns frolicking in a meadow. The point is, rarely does anyone regret spending time outdoors looking for birds. But how does someone new to birds begin bird watching? One of the great things about birding is that the start up is simple and inexpensive. All you really need is a bird identification guide and you are ready to start, particularly if you are just interested in identifying birds that use your backyard feeder. There are plenty of inexpensive bird guides out on the market these days, but I recommend "The Sibley Guide to Birds of Western North America", by David Allen Sibley. The second piece of gear most birders have is binoculars. There are a myriad of choices in binoculars, but not all are well suited for birding. Before purchasing a pair, do some research and talk with other birders to see what they use. It's also a good idea to look through as many models as you can. Like many things, you get what you pay for when purchasing binoculars. I recommend staying away from the cheaper compact or zoom-style binoculars. The more expensive models are clearer, brighter, and better built. Once you have the gear, your next challenge is to start learning the birds. This is where most people new to birding get frustrated. There are literally a hundred plus species of birds that can be found in this region of Idaho alone. However, it is important to remember that bird identification is learned over a period of time with lots of patience. No one becomes an expert overnight. We all begin in the same place - knowing a few common birds, such as the crow, pigeon, robin, house finch, and English sparrow. Other birds we tend to group at first knowing that they are a woodpecker, swallow, duck, or a wading bird. With practice, we can begin to separate these groups into individual species that we recognize. Another great way to get help learning your birds is to join a local Audubon club, like the Moscow/Pullman and Lewiston/Clarkston clubs. Audubon members often take birding trips together and this is a great opportunity of have an experienced birder show you the ropes. If you don't have a group of birders in your area, start small and work your way up. Learn to identify the major groups for birds first, like sparrows, warblers, gulls, raptors and ducks. Focus on learning the characteristics features of these major groups first. This will ease you into the nuances of noticing subtle feature that often used to tell closely related species apart. When trying to identify a bird, look particularly at the wings, head, and breast, these areas often hold many of the plumage clues that allow identification. Also note the general size of the bird and the habitat in which it is found. Most field guides include a description of what habitats a species is normally found in and this can be helpful in identification. Most of all, don't forget to look at the range maps in your field guide, while it is possible to find birds long distances from their normal distribution (these birds are called vagrants in the birding world), it is not probable. Now that you know the basics, grab an identification guide and binoculars and spend some time in the field. In just a short time you will be amazed by all the birds that you have seen and learned to identify. Taking up birding will open a whole new world to explore, learn and enjoy. Joel Sauder is the Regional Nongame Biologist in the Clearwater Region. He has been watching birds for nine years and has accumulated a life list of 309 species.