Birdwatching, America's Fastest Growing Hobby, Coming to a Backyard Near You

Copyright 2007 By Betsy S. Franz

Birdwatching is the fastest growing outdoor sport in the nation. According to the National Survey of Hunting, Fishing and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (FHWAR), in 2001 there were more than 46 million bird-watchers over the age of 16 in the U.S.

With the completion of the 2,000-mile Florida Birding trail in 2006 and abundant birding hotspots such as the JN Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, birders have a great variety of excellent bird watching sites to visit throughout the state.

But what may surprise many people is that 88% (almost 40 million) of the bird-watchers surveyed said that they carry out their birding hobby in their own backyards. The survey didn't count people who just happen to notice a bird while walking out for their morning paper. Their definition of a birder was "an individual who either takes a trip a mile or more away from home or closely observes or tries to identify birds around the home." Since only 40% of the birders surveyed said that they bird AWAY from home, that means that 60% of them are exclusively backyard birders.

For those who already participate in this hobby, these high statistics aren't surprising. Backyard bird watching provides a wonderful opportunity for couples or whole families to observe and study nature together any time of the day. Although it is challenging, competitive and hugely educational it is also a very intimate hobby. To a non-birder, it is somewhat difficult to describe the feeling of having a companion or child call you outside to share the beauty of a colorful bird or hear a musical bird song. Suffice it to say that listening to a barred owl together in the still of the night or the quiet chirping of migrating warblers over your morning coffee helps to put the whole rest of the day in perspective.

Florida birdwatchers have a definite advantage over residents of many other states. Our climate and range of habitats attract hundreds of bird species. In fact, more than 470 species have been verified in our state. That is over half the total number of birds that are found naturally in North America! Although some of these birds are rarely seen away from the beach or other body of water, many of them wander in and out of bird friendly backyards.

The main reason that so many birds show up in Florida is simple: Location. Location. Location. Florida is in a direct path of many birds that migrate on one of two important flyways, or migratory corridors, used by Caribbean birds and birds from as far away as the Canadian Prairies. Some are tiny little warblers or hummingbirds that fly thousands of miles to get here. And to an avid birder, capturing the sight of one of these rare beauties in their backyard is like winning the birding lottery. Especially if the bird sighted is a new one to their "life list".

A "life list" is a record of every unique species that birders have seen during their lifetime. And many people believe that the challenge of the "life list", which can be compared to the intrinsic tracking aspects of both hunting and fishing, is part of what makes bird watching such an increasingly popular hobby. The challenge, however, is rarely against other birders, who are all too willing to share their bird sightings with other enthusiasts. As in hunting, the challenge is almost with the birds themselves, as they flit and flutter from tree to tree and hide among the underbrush and branches.

Recording birds in a life list is certainly one of the aspects that makes birdwatching so educational. For although it may be obvious that a tiny buzzing bird in your garden is indeed a hummingbird, which SPECIES of hummingbird takes a very astute eye for detail. The same is true for many of the migrating warblers and other passerines (perching birds), especially the females or juveniles that lack the bright colors of the males. So the challenge doesn't end with sighting a bird. The goal is to positively identify the bird. Only then should it be added to one's life list.

There are two pieces of equipment which are almost necessary for anyone who wants to take up backyard birding: binoculars and a good field guide. A field guide is a book that lists photographs or diagrams and distinguishing characterics of various birds. One of the most popular is Sibley Guide to Birds, which has detailed diagrams of over 800 birds. Binoculars come in many magnifications and sizes. Since you will be holding them up for a long period of time, make sure that you select a pair that you can hold steady for long periods.

The trick with bird identification is to gather as much information as you can from the brief glimpses that you may get of these birds. Sometimes the only difference between two similar species of birds will be the color of it's feet or eyes so look closely! In the "old days" before digital cameras, this was sometimes a challenge. A birder would have to see a bird and write down or sometimes sketch as many details as possible so that they could look the bird up in a field guide.

In the same way that pocket calculators took much of the challenge out of doing math in our heads, the advent of digital cameras has taken much of the challenge out of identifying bird species. The ease of taking a large quantity of pictures means that even the most elusive birds can be captured in photographs. Although these blurry images of fast moving birds may not win you any photo contests, they are often clear enough to use with your field guide or other resources to look for such important bird details as wing bars or eye color. In many locations throughout Florida, there are also very active Audubon groups or other birding groups full of friendly birders that find it an enjoyable challenge to help new birders identify their mystery birds.

It is easy to get started with backyard birding. The first step, of course, is attracting birds to your yard. Although the FHWAR survey mentioned above showed that birders spent over 2 billion dollars on bird seed during 2001 with another 628 million dollars spent on bird houses, feeders and birdbaths, choosing plants that provide food or shelter for birds and a water supply are easier and may attract a larger variety of birds.

Many of the birds that migrate through the state eat fruits and berries, so including some of their favorites in your landscape will bring in the birds. Oaks and holly trees are readily available at most nurseries and are loved by various forms of wildlife. Other plant species such as beautyberry, Walter's Virburnum and swamp dogwood also provide seeds and excellent cover. Red tubular flowers, such as tropical sage or firebush, that provide nectar can be planted for hummingbirds, another favorite of backyard birdwatchers.

But the easiest way to attract backyard birds is often with a water supply. Although the diet of birds varies between the species, all birds need water. By offering a water supply where birds can drink and bathe, you'll not only increase the number of bird visitors but you will be providing a resting spot that will allow for much better bird viewing. It is much easier to get a good look or a photo of a bird sitting on the edge of a birdbath than flying through the trees.

Migration periods give local bird watchers the best chance to see unusual species in their yards as they are passing through our state on their way to or from their winter rest stops. The best months are probably April, for Spring migrations and October for Fall migrations. These are both wonderful times to be outdoors in Florida.

And it is during these migrations when backyard birders are more likely to see and hear some beautiful strangers in their yards. That's when colorful birds, clad in shades of red, yellow and blue, can be seen flitting through gardens and landscapes and visiting backyard feeders or water supplies. And it is during those periods when experienced birders sometimes see twenty or more species during a day of backyard birding.

Tanagers and Redstarts offer shades of orange and red. Black Throated Blue warblers and Northern Parulas have shades of blue. Many of the warblers, including Yellow Throated, Magnolia, Cape May and Prairie Warblers are dressed in bright shades of yellow. Even the birds which are strictly black and white, such as the Black and White warbler and the Blackpoll warbler, appear colorful next to their all gray counterparts such as catbirds.
Although some of these bird species can only be glimpsed during their periods of migration, two all-time favorites, Painted Buntings and Ruby Throated Hummingbords, sometimes over winter in Florida, providing months of enjoyment for the lucky birders that attract them.

So if you are looking for a hobby that you can partake in close to home, consider backyard birding. Pull out your old pair of binoculars, check a good bird guide out of the library, go outside and look up. I'll bet you will be surprised when you find out the variety of birds that were out there all the time.

Just keep this in mind: backyard birding is highly addictive. It may be easy to talk yourself out of spending too much time on a hobby that requires lots of travel or preparation. But once you get interested in the birds around you, they become pretty hard to ignore. You might as well just not schedule anything else during the periods of heavy migration, because your favorite pastime will be right outside your back door.