1. Go birding from home. You don't need to always go out to spot the birds, you can spot them from your own backyard. The Covid-19 pandemic taught us all to bird from home. Turn birding into a lifestyle and you will feel one with mother nature every single day of your life. It will also make you a better birder.
2. Look up more often. Roughly 4500 birds in the world are migratory birds. So no matter where you live in the world, you can spot a few birds just by looking up at the sky. This is mostly true in breeding season or during the winter months. Have a good set of binoculars or a spotting scope handy.
3. Spend a few minutes on each bird that you see (if possible). There's a reason almost every human being can recognize a crow, a sparrow, an owl and a pigeon. We have seen these common birds so many times that it's difficult not to know one when we see one.
The same holds true for all other bird species. The more you have seen a bird, the easier it becomes to identify it in the future. You may not which species of Woodpecker you have seen when you saw it the first time. But after seeing it 10 times, it is almost guaranteed you will know which species of Woodpecker it is.
4. Go birding along with other birders. At most times, birding along with other birders is more interesting, enjoyable and fulfilling than birding alone. I have personally noticed that you see more birds when you have more than one set of eyes searching for them.
5. Join a
birding course on Enoma. You will learn how to easily identify over 500 birds and 2000+ bird species during the basic and advanced course respectively.
6. Be on the lookout for birds even when you are not birding. Birds are everywhere. Whether you are the beach or the community park, at school or at work. You can spot tens of birds at a beach on a single morning. To get better at birding, go birding even when you are not. Birds aren't appearing as per your schedule, rather they are always around.
7. Give them water. Most birds love water. They drink water to live. Some birds even like to take water baths. Simply keeping a large pot full of water in your garden or backyard or balcony will draw in birds from nearby areas to it.
During the hot months, many birds die due to dehydration. You can save many lives just by giving them water to drink on a daily basis. You will spot a few birds and make some feathered friends along the way too.
For example, House crows, Large-billed crows, House Sparrows, Red-whiskered Bulbuls, Red-vented Bulbuls, White-cheeked Bulbuls and Rock Doves look for water bowls regularly. Water bowls should hang from a tree branch and should be less than 2 inches deep.
8. Feed the birds once in a while. See more birds. In our home, it is a common thing to feed the birds once or twice a week. We feed them fruits, grains, seeds, and artificial nectar. Certain birds like crows prefer fruits, while others prefer seeds. You will get birds coming regularly to your home just to feed on the treats you are serving them. Avoid feeding them daily as it reduces their natural instinct to find food on their own. For example, birds like the House Crow, Large-billed crows and Rose-ringed Parakeets can get too friendly and might attempt to enter your home. They can get killed if they fly near the ceiling fan while it's on.
9. Join local birding groups or birdwatching clubs. They organize regular birding trips, events and tours which are often free or reasonably priced. Going birding with others from your local community will help you make friends and interact with people who share the same passion for birds and birding like you do.
Written by Savio DSilva
Published - Sunday 5th June 2022 - 7:32pm