Birdwatching a great hobby that gets you outdoors

WILD ABOUT TEXAS

Michael Price
Special to San Angelo Standard-Times

Generally speaking, most people have a hobby or two they enjoy participating in apart from their daily routines, and research tells us this is healthy.

For some it may be playing or just watching sports, for others it may be something like stamp collecting or coin collecting, and still others may like fishing or hiking.

One hobby that has really taken hold in the United States over the past several decades is birdwatching, or birding for short.

It has been estimated that more than 60 million people in the U.S. participate in birding annually, and this great state of ours is a prime area for birdwatching due to favorable weather conditions, and geographic placement.

As I begin to generalize  about this hobby, let me just say the space allotted for this column is not nearly enough to cover the hows, whats, whens, wheres and whys of birding. It is meant to serve as a humble overview of a tremendous opportunity to get outdoors!

If one is interested in birding, there are a few necessities to obtain before beginning. The first is a good bird-identification book. There are several to choose from, and making that selection depends largely on how seriously you see yourself participating in the hobby.

Binoculars are needed to aid in identifying hard-to-see species that are too small, or too far away.

One of my favorites is "Birds of Texas" by Fred J. Alsop III. This is one of several field guides by the Smithsonian Handbook series.

The next item is a good set of binoculars.

These are needed for those hard-to-see species that are too small, or too far away, to positively identify.

Another item would be a good digital camera. A few years ago, a digital DSLR with a large telephoto lens was the way to go. Now, there are several point-and-shoot cameras that have up to 12-X zoom capabilities, as well as several megapixels, available for one-third of what a single DSLR telephoto lens costs.

Digital cameras are optimal to use in the field as they allow you to photograph a bird, then zoom-in for a closer look to aid in the ID.

When in the field birdwatching, there are several questions to ask and answer about a bird’s body to assist with identification.

First impressions are the most important.

Is the head striped, crested, or capped?

Is there markings present on the face, such as masking, eye rings, or ear patches?

Is the color of the body plumage red, blue, or brown?

Are the underparts spotted or streaked? Is the tail forked, rounded, long, or short? Is there distinctive markings on the tail such as spots, bands, or bars? What about the bill? Is it needlelike, or is it hooked, or is it cone-shaped?

There are things other than physical attributes to observe.

What is the surrounding habitat like? What kind of voice does the bird utilize? What is its behavior? Does it hop on the ground, does it fly from bush to bush, or does it soar?

What is its flight pattern? Does it exhibit a direct straight-line flight? Or does it hover or zig-zag?

As you can see, there are several key elements in learning how to be a birdwatcher. But with the mastery of these basics, you will be well on your way to become an experienced birder. Happy birding!

Michael Price is owner of Wild About Texas, an educational company that specializes in venomous animal safety training, environmental consultations and ecotourism. Contact him at wildabouttexas@gmail.com.