Effective Birding 101

October 26th, 2008 Posted in Bird Watching

Effective birding will depend on how you behave around birds when you are out in nature. Do you remember in the Disney movie Snow White, Snow White is out in the forest and the wild birds come toward her, land on her and chirp merrily to her. This is an ideal and attractive concept, but in reality unlikely to happen. It is extremely rare to be able to build trust or to tame a wild bird.

The way that you behave when you are out birding is important because you do not want to alarm or frighten the birds. The best way to observe wild birds is to be a still and passive as possible. To a wild bird you are just like a predator and instinctively birds will be cautious and wish to avoid you.

If possible be seated while birding. Wear neutral colour clothing. Effective birding happens when you are able to blend in with your surroundings. By wearing neutral colours rather than bright colours you’ll be more able to blend in and be unnoticed. The best colours to wear would be green, brown, or tan shades.

If you go to the same location each day and sit quietly watching the birds, the birds will become accustomed to you. Avoid any sudden movements. This means that you should raise your binoculars to face in a slow steady movement.