BIRD VIEWING TIPS & TOOLS
The best time to observe birds is early morning. Get out as early as you can. By 9:00 am they have been gathering insects and seeds for about four hours already! During breeding season this is also the best time of day for bird song. Another good time is early evening before dark.
Do no harm! Sounds sensible but many still birders approach too closely, use play back or phishing too frequently and other activities that stress birds that are surviving on a knife edge.
Learn how to use your binoculars properly. If you are having difficulty finding birds, other birders will gladly help.
Learn how to describe were you see a bird. Instead of pointing, use the face of a clock technique to describe where it is in a tree, use clouds or a ridgeline as a reference, or how many trees away, etc. This takes practice.
Wear muted clothing. White is a powerful warning or threat to most birds.
Make a quick mental note and then spend as much time as possible studying the bird. You can even use a voice recorder while observing. For example, “It has a dark bill, yellow eyes, pink legs, size compared to a robin, color, etc.” Check you field guide when the bird has departed.
Download a birding app if you have a smart phone, or walk with a bird guidebook. There are many apps. A few good ones are: iBird PRO, Sibley Birds, and Merlin. New apps are appearing frequently. At this time, the book National Geographic’s 7th edition Field Guide to the Birds of North America is the most updated. Our valley is lucky to have a great book of our local birds, making it much easier for beginners: Birds of Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley.
Learn bird song. Start with one or two birds that you hear often. With these two under your belt, you’ll have a great start on the rest. Use a phone app on low volume to verify what you hear. Keep it on low so you do not disturb the bird. Study on your computer: go to allaboutbirds.org, find a cd copy of Peterson Field GuidesWestern Birding by Ear, and best of all, go birding with others that know the songs and calls. Join a Roaring Fork Audubon field trip. Great fun and camaraderie!
Baby bird on the ground. If you find a baby bird on the ground, leave it alone and stay back. The parent usually arrives to care for it when you depart. If it is naked and you can locate the nest, place it back in the nest. If the nest is not visible, place the bird in a small box on top of a cloth; and position the box securely among tree branches. If the bird has feathers, it may have recently fledged and is learning how to navigate its environment. If it seems troubled, locate it close to or under a shrub to protect it from predators; and leave it alone. Make sure there are no cats or other predators nearby. Do not attempt to feed displaced birds.
Birding Guidebooks
National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, Seventh Edition, has the most current and accurate information and taxonomic orders.
Birds of Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley, by Rebecca Weiss and Mark Fuller, has great information and outstanding photos of most of the birds found in our valley.
For Your Phone
iBirdPro Guide to Birds has information on bird ID, facts, range and vocals. It is basically a few books condensed into one phone app.
Sibley Birds 2nd Edition, Birds of North America is another comprehensive educational tool.
Merlin Bird ID is a tool available for identifying bird vocals and photos. Because of its limited accuracy, please use with caution. If not familiar with the vocal, the best practice is to see the bird before submitting any data.
Stuarts Guide to the Mammals of North America is informative and includes mammals of Canada, U.S. and Northern Mexico.
Colorado Rocky Mountain Wildflowers that helps support the Colorado Native Plant Society. It covers our area’s habitats with photos, drawings and descriptions and a plant identification search function.
iNaturalist is social network of naturalists and scientists built on the concept of mapping and sharing observations of biodiversity across the globe.
For Your Computer
All About Birds by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a highly recommended, free site that provides species’ facts, photos, vocals and more.
Birds of the World is available from Cornell by subscription and offers more detailed information than their free site.