You don’t have to be a Bird Nerd to get outdoors and do a little bird watching on National Go Birding Day (April 27). Even if you’ve never cracked open a field guide to identify a bird or ventured out to look at birds beyond your own backyard, we’ve got some basic information to get you started.
 
 

 
What Is “Birding,” Anyway?
Essentially, birding may be considered the “next level” of bird watching. I read an article in the New Yorker recently that explained it well: “Crudely put, bird-watchers look at birds; birders look for them.” I guess you could also use a Venn diagram-type explanation: all birders are bird watchers, but not all bird watchers are birders.
 
While I’ve always been fascinated by birds, I got my start as a true birder back in 2010 when I got a part-time job at Mitchell Lake Audubon Center, our local bird sanctuary. I worked the desk in the old house that serves as the visitor check-in and gift shop, and I had lots of time to borrow a pair of binoculars from the Center and bird from the big wrap-around porch. Many days after work I’d head out onto the sanctuary grounds either by car or on foot to bird some more. And I was hooked.
 
What a Beginning Birder Needs (and it’s not much!)
You don’t have to break the bank on equipment or travel to distant locales to get out and get birding as a hobby. In fact, you only really need two things…something to get your eyes a little closer to the birds (usually some sort of binoculars) and a field guide. In the beginning, any pair of binoculars will do (you could even use a pair of opera glasses in a pinch!). If you decide that birding is a good hobby for you then you can invest in a better pair.
 
I have a pair of Vortex Diamondback binoculars, which were a birthday present from my lovely wife about 8 years ago. I think they were around $200 at the time of purchase. While you don’t need to spend big bucks for a decent pair, if you are serious about pursuing birding, you’ll want to avoid the cheap-o under-$100 pairs. Investing $200-$300 will get you a great pair that will last (with proper care, of course) and provide good results.
 
An illustrated field guide is a must for identification. Field guides are typically organized by type (or “group”) of bird (eg. birds of prey, shorebirds, warblers, flycatchers, etc). Field guides use either drawings or photos of each bird, including variations–male/female, winter/summer, and adult/juvenile. They also contain detailed descriptions of markings, sounds, behaviors, and habitats for each bird. Additionally, you’ll find zone maps that show where each bird typically lives (including both summer and winter locations plus migration routes).
 
There are several good field guides to choose from. I use the Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America and I love it. It contains photos instead of drawings and it’s a little bigger than a pocket guide, but it has a flex binding and I can still cram it in my ba...