Are you new to bird watching?

A little preparation will help make each of your bird watching sessions go smoothly. Prepare a kit with a bird field guide, binoculars, notebook and pencil. Always remember to record the date and time you begin bird watching, and then keep careful records to tally the number for every species you see in the yard. 

If you have trouble identifying a species, take careful notes of its plumage, flight pattern, location (i.e., ground, bush, tree tops), call, and body shape. Enter species you are uncertain about in the comment section (step 4) of eBird.

Contact a local birding club and go birding with others. The quickest way to learn is to go bird-watching with more experienced birders.

For more information about birding gear, attracting birds to your yard, and identifying birds, please visit the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's All About Birds web site.