Points to Remember when Observing Birds

Points to observe. Color is the best aid in the identification of birds in the field. When a new bird is seen, a record should be made at the time, in a notebook provided for the purpose, of the color markings and their location, whether on head, back, tail, wings, or breast. The size should be noted in comparison with some well-known bird, like the robin or English sparrow. The shape of the bill is also a help in identification. Shapes of wings and peculiarities in method of flight should be noted. Some birds are on the wing almost constantly.

Some birds have white lateral tail feathers, which show only in flight, and these make good field marks for identification. These are found on the vesper sparrow, junco, meadowlark, and towhee. Some birds are usually found on tree-trunks; as the woodpeckers, the nuthatch, and the brown creeper. The nuthatch can be told by its method of hopping down the tree-trunk head first.

One of the best ways of identifying birds is through their songs. Birds can thus be identified at a long distance and when hidden in the foliage of trees and shrubs. It is difficult to make a record of these songs that will help anyone else, but some record made at the time may help the one making it in identifying the bird later.

Many birds have one or two conspicuous field marks by which they may be identified. So that it is not necessary to make a detailed description of every part of all birds seen, as one soon comes to learn these conspicuous markings and to name the birds from them.

Where to find birds. The best place to begin the study of birds is right around one's own home, if this be situated in the country or a small town, or on the edge of a city. Many birds prefer to live around human habitations if the houses are not too thickly crowded together. If measures are taken to attract birds and if they are protected from their enemies, the number of birds found around one's home may be increased. The birds found here one may enjoy at all times without undertaking any special bird trips.

If one lives in a city, the parks are good places in which to study birds, especially during the spring migration. In the Boston Public Gar­den, one hundred and ten species have. been re­ported in nine years; in Lincoln Park, Chicago, one hundred and fourteen species have been seen; and in Central Park, New York City, one hundred and forty species have been recorded. In a little book by Herbert E. and Alice H. Walter, entitled" Wild Birds in City Parks," the authors write in their preface:­

Anyone caring to make use of these hints may be assured that during the migrations of the birds, city dwellers have one of the keenest delights of country life man brought to their very doors, because many birds, migrat­ing largely at night, are attracted by the lights of the city and stop off in their long journey to feed, so that a city park often contains a greater variety of feathered visitors than an equal area in the country.

One will see a greater variety of birds if he visits a number of different localities. Some birds have certain habitats where they are chiefly found. In the swamps are found water-birds, which are not often found elsewhere. In the woods one is more apt to see the vireos, warblers, and some of the thrushes. In the meadows are found the bobolinks and some of the sparrows. The orchard is a locality where a great variety of birds may be found.

bird watching - Yahoo! News Search Results
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