AARP Smart Guide to Bird-Watching

Cultivate a bird-friendly yard​ by planting native plants specific to your area.

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BRING THE BIRDS TO YOU

14. What to know about bird feeders

Bird feeders can bring a variety of birds to you. However, they require diligent maintenance since they can spread diseases and attract unwanted pests like rats, squirrels and even bears. Clean your feeders every two weeks with a mild bleach solution and place them away from the house, says Klockner. He also puts a tray under the feeders at his home to catch errant seeds, shells and droppings, which he cleans off periodically. For a simple feeder, use a flower pot, a milk carton or even a grapefruit rind. 

Emma Greig, a project leader at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, says you can also scatter birdseed on a flat tree stump and top it with a chicken wire cage with holes cut in it to accommodate small birds — but not squirrels. (Greig recommends using black-oil sunflower seeds to attract many kinds of birds, but she says avoid birdseed mixes with red milo, a filler that most birds don’​t like.) 

Cornell also has information at Project FeederWatch on types of feeders, the kinds of birds they attract, what to put in them and how to contribute data on the birds who might show up to dine with you. The National Wildlife Foundation, National Audubon Society and birding stores can help you use the right feeders and food — seeds, mealy worms, suet — to attract the birds in your region. They’ll also suggest methods to discourage robbers such as squirrels. 

15. Consider a birdbath

Birdbaths lure all kinds of birds, including insect eaters like bluebirds and robins that don’t frequent feeders, says Gedney. But they also require care. “Refresh the water every day or every other day, and that will avoid most of the potential problems of becoming a breeding ground for mosquitoes or algae growth,” he says. There are battery- or solar-powered devices and fountains that keep the water moving and discourage algae growth and mosquito larvae. Prices for these begin at around $10. If you live in northern areas, consider a birdbath heater or deicer to keep water available year-round. They run about $25 and up.

16. Install a birdhouse

Pick a birdhouse meant for birds, not for decoration. A proper birdhouse is built from untreated wood and has ventilation and drainage holes, a sloped roof to ward off rain and predators, and rough interior walls to help nestlings climb out, according to Cornell’s NestWatch. (It’​s a nationwide nest-monitoring program focused on avian reproductive trends. Volunteers across the country visually inspect nests, record the number of eggs or new hatchlings, and send the data to Cornell’s ​researchers.) 

Birds don’t need a perch, which may invite predators, and there should be access to clean out old nesting materials to keep the birdhouse from attracting mice and parasites. Pick a house with an entry hole only large enough for what you’r​e trying to attract. For instance, a 1.25-inch hole is big enough for wrens and chickadees but will exclude some invasive species like house sparrows.

17. Put out nest-building materials

Stuff a metal suet feeder with fibrous material — yarn ends, unspun wool, or even human hair or animal fur from pets or livestock — and hang it in your yard for birds to grab, says Gedney. Put it up anytime in spring and leave it up through August, when some birds may still be making second nests. But don’t use dryer lint: The fibers are too small for good insulation, and they may be infused with chemical detergents. Also, don’t put nesting materials right next to a birdhouse or a nest site, where it may attract the unwanted attention of other birds, he says.

18. Cultivate a bird-friendly yard​

Native plants attract the pollinators and birds you want in your yard, experts say. You can find information about natives at your local garden center, your county extension service or through environmental groups such as the Native Plant Trust or the National Audubon Society, which has an online search that suggests native plants specific to your ZIP code. In the Northeast, natives might include woody fruit-bearing shrubs like holly and chokeberry, Faherty says. Oaks, willows and cherry trees attract the caterpillars and moths that birds eat or feed to their young, he says. He also discourages homeowners from spraying their yards for mosquitoes or trees for caterpillars if they’r​e looking to attract birds, as they’​re a major food source for avians. Mosquito sprays target adult bugs when the real culprits are larvae in standing water. And the systemic neonicotinoid pesticides, used commercially against caterpillars in trees, are themselves harmful to birds, bees and wetlands, Faherty says, adding that you definitely shouldn’t use them if you don’t have an infestation.

Some birders compete to see how many species they can spot in one locale. Spotted here: A great blue heron in a New England lily pond.

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EXPAND YOUR RANGE

19. Find your birding style

Some birders seek a flock of companions; others are solitary. Wilson says the walks sponsored by the In Color Birding Club are relaxed and social as well as informative, and he likes it that way. “We practice bird joy,” Wilson says. “Some people will be involved in conversation with a new person that they have just met, surrounded by nature and the openness of being together.” Phoebes Birding, a birding club in Miami started by Ana Lima and Kirsten Hines, is aimed at women who want to learn birding and might feel intimidated in other groups. “We foster a very welcoming, open-arm sort of philosophy, and particularly to women who are totally new to birding or just beginning, and [we] encourage the more seasoned and experienced birders in the group to sort of take these newbies under their wing,” says Lima. But Villone loves the “zen” of birding alone, which she discovered when her two children were young. “I called it my religion, because there was such a peacefulness to it,” she says. “And that’​s why I continue to be a solitary birder.”

20. Expand your eyes through photography

While your smartphone can take photos that will help you ID birds, you can take steps to improve the quality, according to the National Audubon Society. For example, download an app that will take manual control over focus. Examples include Halide Mark II, Adobe Lightroom or ProCamera+. Also, use a tripod to steady the camera and set your phone to create the largest possible photo file (with more pixels), which will capture more detail. And you can use an adapter to shoot through a spotting scope a process known as a digiscoping to capture closeups. Additionally, Audubon says you should set your phone on a timed shutter so you don’t jostle the camera while taking the shot. 

21. Upgrade your photo equipment

If you want to upgrade to a real camera, you’​ll have to spend some money. Mike Bryant, aka Nature Man Mike, a Boston-based birder and nature photographer who leads bird walks and photography workshops for Mass Audubon, suggests either an interchangeable-lens camera with at least a 400 mm lens, or a “bridge” camera, which comes with one lens but has manual adjustments for settings such as aperture. “​That’​s important when shooting birds, because you want to be able to change your shutter speed for birds in flight, or little birds that are moving kind of quickly,” he says. Expect a sizable investment: A digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera starts at about $400, and an entry-level 400 mm lens runs $700 to $1,000, Bryant says. A good bridge camera is $400 to $500 and up, he adds. The National Audubon Society has birding photo and video gear suggestions on its website as well as a section on bird photography ethics, the most important being “Do no harm.”

​22. Start your own group

Start with an informal outing, says Wilson. Just ask a friend or neighbor to look for birds with you on a walk. “The easiest way is just to poll people that you know — your church and your community — who might be interested,” he says. “And once people come and know that there are other people there who are like-minded and who are interested in the same thing, the thing grows on its own.” 

23. Make a list

Many birders keep life lists of bird species or compete to see how many they can spot in one locale. For example, Klockner says he loved spotting 100 new species to add to his life list on a trip to Chile. But numbers don’t always matter. “I’m content to just visit the same places throughout the year and see how they change in terms of the birds that are there, when the birds arrive back from the south in the spring, when do they leave in the fall, which birds are nesting here, which are just passing through,” he says.

24. Practice, practice, practice

Try your hand at the birding tests on YouTube created by Marty Brazeau, 66, a Baltimore-area outdoor educator who’s a retired school librarian. Brazeau, who teaches birding at the Community College of Baltimore County, has posted more than 40 bird ID videos and quizzes. The test on Eastern birds, for example, runs through 84 species in 14 minutes, from a Canada goose to an American goldfinch. Or go old school with birding flash cards from Sibley guides and other brands.

25. Listen to birding podcasts

Some podcasts, such as the American Birding Podcast by the ABA, focus on different species and birding tips. Others, like those produced by the nonprofit group BirdNote, discuss birds in the greater context of environmental science and sustainability. Science of Birds, by zoologist Ivan Phillipsen, is all about bird biology. Life List declares itself a “nerdy” look at birds and birding culture. Naturally Adventurous covers birds and wildlife all over the world. Want something short and sweet? Tune into the BBC’s Tweet of the Day (think bird sounds, not social media noise). Episodes are five minutes or less and sometimes feature the reassuring voice of Sir David Attenborough.

26. Enroll in classes in person or online

Look for in-person birding classes at local Audubon chapters and sanctuaries, garden centers, libraries, natural history museums and local environmental organizations. For example, the Audubon chapter in Pasadena, California, offers a two-session, in-person birding class, “How Birds Work.” It costs $100 for nonmembers. The Bird Academy, a project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, offers dozens of online courses that cover all kinds of topics such as bird identification, birding mindfulness and how to sketch birds. Prices range from free to about $240. The Bird Alliance of Oregon has online birding classes that cost $30 for nonmembers.

27. Connect with social media birders

Instagram, Reddit and other social media sites are natural habitats for birders and birding organizations, allowing them to show off their discoveries and photographs. Besides national and local environmental groups such as Audubon (@audubonsociety), revel in the up-close photos of Sean Graesser (@gourmetbiologist) of the nonprofit Wild Bird Research Group; laugh at Bird Lady Drin, who turns herself into a human bird feeder (@birdladydrin); or enjoy Isaiah Scott, a Cornell ornithology student (@ikesbirdinghikes), as he birds around the world. Hines (@kirstennaturetravel) and Bryant (@naturemanmike) are both professional nature photographers who post their finds.

28. Practice good birding ethics

The ABA’s Code of Birding Ethics includes tenets like supporting bird conservation and bird habitats. But it also covers guidelines such as respecting private property, being thoughtful of other birders, and allowing birds to have the space they need. Boundaries are a hot topic in bird photography, says Hines. “If we realize that we’re changing the bird’s behavior, then it’s time to back up,” she says. “I’ve seen fledgling birds basically die because photographers didn’t back off.”

Pack your binoculars on your next trip and be on the lookout for new bird species around you.

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EMBRACE THE WIDER WORLD OF BIRDING

29. Participate in a bird count

A count is just that — observing the numbers and types of birds you can see in the wild or in your backyard. The global Great Backyard Bird Count, organized by Audubon, Cornell and Birds Canada each February, asks birders to observe for 15 minutes over four days and then submit what they see via eBird or Merlin. Participation has more than doubled since 2019, according to Audubon. The Audubon Christmas Bird Count runs from mid-December to early January and relies on volunteers who count for one day in specific 15-mile-wide circles, each managed by a captain. Beginners are welcome, but they will be paired with more experienced birders.

30. Bird on your next trip

Headed on a business trip or family visit? Take your binoculars in case you get an hour off. Just research local birds before you go, Wilson says. “Whenever we go anyplace, the first thing we do is I pull up the list of what kind of birds are in the area, what might we see,” he says. Reach out to a birding group in the area and see if there’s a walk planned or a volunteer willing to be a local guide, he says. Birdingpal is a forum for birders to connect and find local birders willing to go birdwatching with them. Or hire a birding guide. Many Audubon chapters, such as the Tropical Audubon Society in Miami, list local guides who work for a fee, says Hines.

31. Pick the right birding tour

A birding trip can show you new places and bird species, but be sure to match your journey to your birding style. Klockner divides birding tours into three categories: species tours that look for as many birds as possible, which can mean being constantly on the move; photography tours aimed at getting a great shot, meaning you might wait for long periods; and general nature tours that include several aspects of the local environment. General nature tours are great for beginners, Klockner notes. “You’​re going to learn a whole bunch of other cool stuff like the common trees or the reptiles and the amphibians or the butterflies, and it’s just a richer experience in terms of learning the nature of a place or of a country,” he says.

32. Visit a birding hotspot

Some hot spots might surprise you — northern Ohio, anyone? In May, the area between Toledo, Ohio, and Cleveland welcomes thousands of birders to see migrating warblers and other songbirds during the Biggest Week in American Birding festival. Sponsored by the Black Swamp Bird Observatory and other organizations, the week features workshops, birding trips and author talks. Outside the United States, popular destinations include Costa Rica and Colombia, the latter of which has the most bird species on Earth. EBird.org has a Hotspot Explorer map that highlights places where birders have found specific species, if you’re trying to cross one off your list. 

33. Explore with a bird cam

Always wanted to see bald eagles? Meet Jackie and Shadow, two bald eagles that are the stars of an eagle nest in California’s San Bernardino Mountains. They are on a live camera feed operated by Friends of Big Bear Valley. It’s one of several bird cams operated by organizations and individuals, in backyards and exotic locations. From about mid-March to September, you can follow the nesting osprey at Massachusetts’ Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Cornell has a bird cam on its backyard feeders in Ithaca, New York, as well as links to others, including great horned owls in its wildlife center and exotic fruit-eaters like toucans at a site in Panama.

34. Recruit young birders

Many birders have been fascinated by birds since childhood. Jenna Curtis, project co-leader for Cornell’s eBird, got hooked in middle school when she spotted a flock of dark-eyed juncos in her backyard. Try not to be professorial — let the kids take the lead, whether it’s a fascination with feeders or colors or birdsong, she says. “That’s kind of the cool thing about birds is that they are visually cool, they sound interesting and they have neat behaviors,” Curtis says. “So there’s a lot of ways to stimulate that discovery.” Camps and classes can help young birders create their own community, and teens may like volunteering with birding conservation projects, Faherty says. And birding can also be a great way for grandparents to spend time outdoors with their grandchildren. 

35. Read a birding memoir

Several writers, including best-selling author Amy Tan, have written books about how the hobby affected their lives or helped them navigate difficult times. Tan’s book, The Backyard Bird Chronicles, describes how she discovered birding in 2016 by looking out her own window and kept it up during what felt like volatile times. Margaret Renkl, author of The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year, follows the wildlife in her Nashville backyard during a year of the pandemic. In Better Living Through Birding, Cooper, now the host of National Geographic’s Extraordinary Birder, describes how birding helped him navigate life as a gay Black man. Thomas C. Gannon’s Birding While Indian tells his life story through the lens of being a part-Lakota inhabitant of the Great Plains. And J. Drew Lanham, a wildlife biologist at Clemson University, writes narratives and poetry centered on birding, nature, conservation and the Black experience in the American South. A collection of his poems, Sparrow Envy, was published in 2021.