Kick-start Your Birding Journey In 5 Steps

Do birds make you happy? Does your face light up by their sighting? If your answer is yes for both the questions, then you’re at the right place.

I’m a beginner level birder hailing from Delhi, a city that is not blessed with wildlife much. However, you still get to see birds thanks to its weather and surrounding green patches. In 2019 I first realised my passion for birding and wildlife photography. There’s no coming back since then.

I’m an internet taught photographer and birder, and I love to learn on the go. Therefore, the tips and tricks that I’ll be sharing in this article are purely experience-based things that I’ve learned on the go. I hope this article helps in kickstarting your birding journey.

Birding is all about observation and knowing your bird’s habitat. I’ve spotted more than 15 varieties of birds just from my window during the lock-down. Therefore, the key is to pay close attention to your surroundings and start noticing the sounds, movements and natural environment around you. Here are five tips to help with your journey as a birder.

Step 1: Buy a field guide

Birding books are essential to start your journey as a birder. These books can be specific to a region like “Birds of North India” or worldwide like “A World on the Wing: The Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds“. You can read the book thoroughly to learn about the birds, the right time and location to spot them and keep it handy while birding.

Step 2: Understand the anatomy

There are millions of birds around the globe, and remembering each of their names can be difficult. Therefore, understanding the anatomy is essential for the quick identification of the family and further the species. Here’s a chart to help you memorise various parts of a bird’s anatomy.

How is this helpful?

The identification of birds generally happens based on their distinguished body features. For example, a Bulbul is a generic family name with various members identified as Red-whiskered (cheeks with red fleck), Red-vented (vent area with red mark), Yellow-vented (vent area with yellow spot), and so on. Similarly, for Starlings, the members are identified by their body colour like Rosy (Rose gold breast and back area), Black-collared etc.

Step 3: Get the right gears

A binocular or a camera with a Telephoto/ Zoom lens is vital for birding because the birds tend to fly away if you get too close. Therefore, it’s best to watch them from afar. I also recommend carrying a notepad to document the name and behaviour of the birds sighted.

Binocular recommendation: Olympus Binocular 10×50

Lens recommendation: Nikon AF-S Nikkor 200-500MM, Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 70-300mm, Tamron AFB018C700 18-200mm for Canon, Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3

Step 4: Wear the right clothes

I recommend wearing colours of nature while on a birding trip, as it will help you gel with the environment and might also attract birds closer than expected. Here’s what you can wear for your next birding trip.

• Camo Green T-Shirt: This can be worn by both men and women. I too wear this one for my trips and trust me the material is soft and comfy. 😀
• Green track pants (cause they are comfy :P). Here’s my recommendation for men and women.
• Hat for summers and beanie for winters.

Step 5: Learn the art of patience

Birding is a slow activity that requires a lot of patience. Sometimes you can spot birds on the move, while the other times, you have to sit and wait for hours. Therefore, it’s ideal to go in groups to keep yourself entertained while you wait for the winged creatures to mark their presence. More eyes, the better you spot them in dense forest areas. If you’re in Delhi, I recommend joining the Delhi Bird Photographers group on Facebook and for people residing in the Pacific Northwest, here’s one for you. The contributors regularly share bird photos on the group, which will increase your knowledge of local birds. Moreover, they also conduct photo walks (occasionally) to Dhanauri Wetland, Okhla Bird Sanctuary etc.

You can DM me here in case you have more questions about birding.