Picking up birding as a hobby can be as simple as going outside and looking up. But if you’re looking for ways to be a little more involved, here are our best tips for getting started:
📓 Get the Right Equipment
To do birding right, you’ll need a comfortable pair of walking shoes, and a notebook. Plus, a pair of binoculars — the Travis Audubon Society recommends either a 7 x 35 or an 8 x 42 pair. It’s probably best to test binoculars in person at an outdoors store like REI or Academy Sports and Outdoors. You’ll want to consider how easy they are to use, how comfortable they are, and how clear the image is.
Bring a small notebook with you on your birding trips so you can write down bird characteristics or other trail notes. You can also download bird identification apps like Merlin or the Audubon Bird Guide to your phone before heading out!
📍 Where To Go
Birding is a great hobby because you can pretty much do it from anywhere. The Travis Audubon Society has a great list of spots to try, including:
- Commons Ford Ranch Metropolitan Park, 614 Commons Ford Road
- Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory, 2210 S. FM 973
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 4801 La Crosse Ave.
- Laguna Gloria – The Contemporary Austin, 3809 W. 35th St.
- Mary Moore Searight Metropolitan Park, 907 Slaughter Lane
- Texas State Capitol Grounds, 112 E. 11th St.
- Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park, 12138 North Lamar Blvd.
👀 How To Identify
Some birds, like a cardinal for example, are easy to identify. But for your lesser known birds, the Travis Audubon Society recommends paying attention to a few bird characteristics and matching them to a bird in a birding guide like the “National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 7th Edition.”
Here are the characteristics to note:
- Size
- The bird’s bill shape, length, and color
- Whether or not a wing bar is present
- Tail length
- Whether a tail is forked or notched
- What colors its back, rump, and under-tail are
- Behavior
- Habitat
- How big the bird’s head is and what their eyes look like
