By Professor Hugh Possingham
Hugh is an internationally renowned scientist and birdwatcher who has held many senior roles, educating and advocating for biodiversity and nature conservation for over 30 years including Queensland Chief Scientist, Chief Scientist of The Nature Conservancy in Washington DC, and is currently co-chair of the Biodiversity Council. Hugh also created the Threatened Species Index in 2016, which the federal government now uses as a headline indicator for biodiversity.
Birdwatching is booming, with reports of the number of people birdwatching worldwide doubling in many countries post-COVID. In the USA, about a third of people claim to be birders of some kind in an industry worth US$260 billion per annum. And it has never been easier to go birdwatching.
I have been birding for 50 years, and what I like most about it is visiting places I know well and pondering why I see different things at different times. Is it rainfall, seasonality, threats, actual trends or just the random nature of birding—you never know what will turn up.
If you are new to birding or keen to give it a go. Here are my five tips for getting started:
1. Binoculars
Firstly, you will need a pair of binoculars; 8x40 is a good power to start with. And it is usually worth getting something over $200 if you can afford it. More and more people like to photograph birds, though this is an area where I am not an expert. Advances in digital camera technology mean more and more amateurs are taking spectacular pictures.
Note: While Hugh may not be an expert in this area, we have some great tips on nature photography from Sputnik.
2. Field guide
Next, you will need a field guide. This can be a hard copy—my current favourite is "The Australian Bird Guide" by Menkhorst and friends—but there are several great options. Increasingly, people are also using apps on their phones that have field guide material and the advantage of giving calls, such as The Michael Morcombe Guide to the Birds of Australia. I use the "(David) Stewart Australian Bird Calls" app for bird calls alone.
Many options are available, so have a good search through your App Store to find one, checking the features, reviews and pricing options. I still prefer a hard copy field guide for the quality of the pictures and browsing. I have over 50 field guides, some for countries I have never visited! This definitely identifies me as a bird nerd.
3. The best time to go birding
Birds are best at dawn or as close to dawn as you can bear. You might even be surprised what you can hear and see half an hour before dawn. Birds are active early, and often, there is less wind. Wind and rain are neither the birder's friend nor very hot weather.
4. Learning to identify birds
Learning to identify birds can take years—especially for tricky groups like birds of prey and shorebirds, which are often far away. The most challenging and enigmatic bush birds are the Thornbills and their near relatives—tiny brown jobs—you will eventually learn to love them.
There is no substitute for spending time in the field to learn birds—especially with a more experienced friend. There are many bird clubs you can join that run outings and camps. BirdLife Australia has branches and affiliated clubs all over Australia and BirdsSA in South Australia.
www.birdlife.org.au
www.birdssa.asn.au
While it might seem that identification is all about colour and pattern, a trick about birding is that it also has much to do with shape, movement and especially sounds. The more your bird, the less you will need those binoculars as you begin to identify species by the way they fly and call.
5. The most important thing
The most important thing is to simply get out there. Birds are everywhere. In most Australian suburbs, you can find half a dozen parrot and cockatoo species in a short walk, and you probably already know some of their common names: Galah, Lorikeet, and Rosella.
Once you know some of your local species, it is worth recording them on your smartphone using either Birdata or eBird.
This shared data collection plays a vital role in informing management and policy, and your contribution can help us save our fabulous Australian native species.