So, you’re thinking about becoming a birder?
BEST DECISION EVER.
I truly never thought I’d be in my 20s, absolutely obsessed with birding. Whether it’s filling up my bird feeders each day, identifying new birds I see on my hikes, or taking my binoculars on a walk to scope out what I hear chirping, it’s a hobby that has easily become my favorite.
But if you’re just starting out birding, you may have no clue where to begin.
Have no fear my soon to be fellow bird nerd. I’m here to help!
In this post, we’ll go over everything I wish someone had told me when I started birding, and everything I would recommend as someone whose life is made up largely of bird-related activities.
We’ll get into how to get started, what gear you need, how to save money on the hobby, and my tips for making the most of your time and resources.
You ready? Let’s get into it.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products that I personally would use or do currently use. Please read full disclosure for more information.
Basics of birding:
Okay, let’s go over some basics and terminology.
Birding: simply observing birds in their natural habitats.
This could be on a hike out in the wilderness, or even your own backyard.
Lifer: A bird you’ve encountered. Every bird you see = one of your lifers.
Ornithology: The study of birds.
What do you need to start birding?
One of the best things about birding is that it’s an easy hobby to start without spending a ton of money or buying a bunch of tools.
You could technically start birding with absolutely nothing- just walk outside and take a listen, see what you see.
But there are a few things that can greatly help you make the most out of your birding experience that still don’t require much upfront cost.
A bird field guide
A field guide is going to help you be able to identify the birds you’re seeing. These can be fairly affordable to buy, and come in all different types. You can buy one for your specific state, for your region, country, however you’d like to go about it.
My recommendation is to start with your state or region. I live in Indiana, and my Indiana bird field guide has been the most helpful for figuring out what I’m most likely to see.
Audubon and Sibley are some of the most well-known guides to start with.
Browse Barnes & Noble birding field guides here: Bird Guides
You can also check out sites like ThriftBooks, Vinted, or even Facebook Marketplace to see if you can snag field guides for cheap! I’ve also grabbed a few field guides from our local library sales.
Bird ID app (Merlin)
Birding can sometimes be tricky when you hear birds but can’t see them. If they’re hiding in trees or too far away to make them out visually, it can be hard to figure out what you’re hearing.
The best way to solve this problem?
Get a bird identifying app like Merlin.
I LOVE Merlin and use it daily, just to see what’s hanging around my yard. It picks up bird sounds and tells you what it’s hearing. It also gives you a list of what’s likely in your area that day, with some information about each bird, which makes things so much simpler!
Binoculars (optional, but super helpful)
This one is totally optional, but definitely worth the investment if you want to enjoy your birding more.
Binoculars help you see birds in so much better detail, and give you more flexibility for where you can birdwatch.
For example, I keep my binocs in my house, so I can easily look at birds through the windows, even if they’re far away, without having to go outside and risk scaring them away.
You can find some starter binoculars for as cheap as $15, but if you are looking for a good pair that is the most worth the investment, I HIGHLY recommend these Vortex ones. I did some intense digging before I purchased these, and they are hands-down the best quality for the price, being comparable to pairs at 2x or even 3x the price.
They’re so good I’ve convinced other family members to buy them after they tried mine out!
Vortex also gives a lifetime warranty which is an added bonus! 🙂
Want to save money on gear like this? Check out discount stores. I scored my $150 pair of binoculars for only $50 from Sierra, which of course saved me so much money! Check out these overstock/discount stores to see what you can find!
A bird feeder (for backyard birding)
If you have an outdoor space where you’re hoping to do some bird watching, you’ll probably need a feeder of some sort!
You can get a variety of bird feeder types, depending on what types of birds you want to attract.
I’ll get more into attracting birds to your yard in just a bit!
How to actually start birding as a beginner
Figuring out where to start your birding journey can feel overwhelming- there are so many birds out there, how do you figure out what to find first?
One of my best recommendations is to start with common ones in your local area. The birds that you probably see hanging around your yard already.
I learned early on that what I thought I knew about birds was actually kind of wrong. I saw so many ‘black birds’ all the time. But when I started actually paying attention, I learned that those birds were actually a ton of different species. Starlings and grackles and red-winged blackbirds and cowbirds. I learned to identify each of those birds independently.
Once you start learning one thing, your knowledge will naturally just keep growing from there.
Keep track of your lifers
Now this isn’t required, but as I’m sure you’ll see when you get started, keeping track of what birds you have and haven’t seen is one of the most fun parts of birding.
I have a few recommendations for keeping track in fun ways!
Option 1: Sketching the birds you see.
Like to draw? Grab yourself a notebook specifically for your birding journey, and fill it up with the birds you see. You can get fun bird-themed notebooks like this one which I have and love.
With your drawing, you can write details like where/when you saw the bird, some details about its behavior or habitat, etc.
Not good at drawing? That’s okay, I’m not either! There are more options!
Option 2: Stickers in a birding book
Grab yourself a birding field guide like we talked about above, and use it to catalog your lifers!
To keep track of what you see, put a sticker on the page for each bird you’ve encountered before.
Option 3: Buy a pre-made birding journal
There are birding journals already out there that give you a guidelines for capturing your lifers. Some give you the option for a sketch, some give you information to fill out.
If this is something you’re interested in, there are plenty of options out there, just search ‘birding journal’.
Options like the Rite in Rain birder’s notebook give you a pre-formatted way to sketch and jot down info!
Learn how to attract the birds you want to see
Bird seed is not a one-type-attracts-all deal. Different bird foods bring in different types of birds, and figuring that out is so fun!
And putting out bird seed of any kind is a great way to bring some birds to your yard, but it doesn’t guarantee you’ll see exactly what you want to see.
All bird seed is not the same quality, either. My wallet and I have learned the hard way that some bird seeds are just filler with a few good things in them, while others will give you so much more bang for your buck.
So start with a type of bird you want to bring to your yard, and research how to bring it to your yard.
I, for example, wanted to bring goldfinches around. I learned they don’t really eat sunflower seeds, but instead prefer thistle seeds, and they love to eat directly from flowers and plants. They’re also rumored to be attracted to the color yellow. So I put a yellow thistle tube feeder in my backyard near some flowers, and now I spot goldfinches out there almost daily!
Attracting a certain type of bird can take time and effort, but when you finally succeed, it is so rewarding!
Psssttt…. what type of bird do you want to bring to your yard? Let me know in the comments and maybe I’ll write you up a guide! 🙂
Not necessary, but totally fun: Look the part
Want to put your new hobby on display? Get some birding-themed gear! Here are a few of my favorite places to buy products that showcase your love of birding.
Bird Collective: Stickers, cups, apparel, literally all things birds.
Cognitive Surplus: A really cool collection of ornithology-themed stationary, cups, stickers, & more.
My top tips for seeing more birds:
- Give it time. If you put out a feeder, it may take a couple of days before the birds figure out it’s a food source. But be patient, it will pay off.
- Learn to sit and be still. Birds may not hang around if you’re outside moving around. But learn to be still, present, and calm, and see what happens.
- Native plants are your friends. Since letting our yard embrace its natural roots- native wildflowers, bushes, and trees- I’m seeing so much more wildlife in general, but especially birds!
- Join a birding group! This is something I’m planning to do soon, but most areas have a local club of birders who go on birding hikes, host events, or just generally share a love of the hobby!
- Go to nature & wildlife refuges. Birds can be picky about their environments. That’s why natural refuges have such high populations of birds- they’re the perfect place for hosting a variety of species.
You’re well on your way to becoming a birder!
Being a bird nerd is honestly so fun and it’s a group I’m so happy to be a part of.
I find myself wanting to write/make content about this more and more, so if you have a topic you’d like to see some content on, PLEASE let me know in the comments or send me an email at hello@kaileymyers.com .
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