Beginning Birding

Welcome to the Howard County Bird Club!  As a beginner, you can get an introduction here and learn more about birds and birding, but it can seem overwhelming at first. We’re here to help you!

Enjoying Birds.  There are many ways to enjoy birds and there are many different aspects of the hobby. With no equipment at all, you can just enjoy the birds you happen to see in your backyard or on walks. For many of us, that was the starting point of this hobby, and the appreciation of birds continues to be a key part of enjoying our time in nature. Just take some extra time to listen and watch the birds around you. They have a wonderful range of sounds, colors, and behaviors. When you pause to really observe them, you might be amazed at what birds can do, and you’ve taken your first step into birding.

When you start, the first dozen birds are the hardest, but you may be surprised how many birds you already know. Use that knowledge as a foundation and relate new ones to those you recognize.

We try to have field trips for you. On the Calendar page, look for “Suitable for beginning birders.” We are also organizing a series of classes in the field covering different aspects of actual birding, both for the beginner and intermediate birder.

Tell us about your birding and what we can do to help. Fill out the Beginning Birding Questionnaire.

Beginning Birding

Learning How to Bird

When you are starting out, where do you start? There are a flood of questions, all of which seem to require an answer before you can continue. Here are some topics covered on the “Learning How to Bird” page that have proven useful to others when they were starting out. Sample them and come back to this page when you want more information.

Topics covered:

  • How to use binoculars
  • Slowing down and stopping
  • Locating birds by position
  • Carefully looking at birds
  • Fixing a mental image
  • Open up to listening
  • Birding thru the year
  • Trying new locations
  • Using eBird
  • Using Merlin
  • Glossary
  • ABA Code of Ethics

All about Birds

Terminology and basic concepts make life easier when they are familiar. Spend some time getting used to the jargon that birders use. Come back for a refresher or expansion of knowledge when needed.

Topics covered on “All about Birds” page:

  • Parts of a bird
  • Size of a bird
  • Grouping of birds
  • Behavior
  • Habitat
  • Will I see the same bird species throughout the year?

Resources

Beyond good observation skills, there is some basic equipment you will want (apps and binoculars). Everyone wants more references, so we have included some that others have found useful. If all you want is help to become a better backyard birder, there is a section for you, too!

Apps for phone & computer
Choosing binoculars
Sources of information
Backyard Birding

The Beginning Birding Committee (Steve Luke, chair, Jeff Culler, Sarah Romero, Sharon Smith, and Bob Solem), used existing material and created new content for these pages. The Howard County Bird Club Education Committee (Jo Solem, chair, John Harris, Kevin Heffernan, Allen Lewis, Woody Merkle, and Chuck Stirrat) prepared and taught a Beginning Birding class in 2019 at Howard County Conservancy and will be offering additional classes.