Bird Watching for Dummies - Paperback

by Jessica Vaughan (Author), Dawn Hewitt (Author), Julie Zickefoose (Author)

Birds are everywhere. Why not start really watching them?

Sometimes, all it takes is a "spark bird" to open the door. A bird, seen well, so unexpectedly beautiful and interesting that it cracks you wide open. Bird Watching For Dummies is a spark book, teaching you all you need to know about this fun, affordable, and accessible hobby. It gently guides as you explore your local habitats, learn to recognize more and more species, and reap the many mental health benefits of connecting to the outdoors and all the wonders it holds. This book gets you started, teaching you how to identify birds by sight and sound, find birdwatching hotspots, and get the birds to come to your own backyard. You'll learn about the latest gear, the best field guides and online apps that will jump-start your bird identification skills. Into photography? This book has your back, with tips on getting good photos for identification and aesthetic purposes. Find out how to join a local bird club, find a field trip or a group tour to rainforest, desert, seacoast, mountains or prairie. Every habitat has its own special birds, and when the birding bug bites, you'll want to see them all.

• Get started with bird watching or take your hobby to the next level
• Improve your skills with tips for identifying birds by sight and sound
• Understand bird behavior and learn gardening tips that will bring the birds to you
• Choose field guides, binoculars, apps, and other tools of the trade

Bird Watching For Dummies will teach beginners and novices how to start bird watching, sharpen their bird watching skills, and expand their knowledge.

Back Jacket

What is that yellow bird? Get answers!

Once you start paying attention, you'll find birds everywhere you go. Twenty species could easily inhabit your yard. Wouldn't it be fun to recognize them all? To locate them by their distinctive calls and songs? To get up-close looks at their bright eyes and brilliant colors? If ever an activity unlocked the exhilaration of getting close to nature, it's bird watching. You can gear up and seek them out in wild places, or settle into a comfortable chair to see who comes to your feeders. You need only three things: A pair of binoculars, a field guide, and a spark of interest. Soon, you'll be the one your friends turn to, saying, "I saw this bird...what could it be?"

Inside...

• Bird sounds and behavior
• Making your yard a bird haven
• Bird feeding, simplified
• How to ID a mystery bird
• Choosing binoculars
• Finding the right field guide
• Birding hotspots
• Bird photography for fun and ID
• Finding your (bird) people

Author Biography

The Editors of BWD - BWD has been North America's premier magazine for bird watchers since 1978. Filled with informative and fun articles about birds, birders, birding destinations, and more, BWD brings you birds in a way you've never seen before. Beautiful photography and fascinating articles by renowned experts will deepen your knowledge, expand your appreciation, and inspire you to look up!