All articles
Everything on Birds of the Wild, organised by topic.
Gear & Skills
- Best Binoculars for Bird Watching: The Specs That Matter — For most birders, the best binoculars for bird watching are a quality pair of 8x42s: 8x magnification is easy to hold steady and gives a wide field of…
- Birdwatching During Migration: Read Weather and Habitat — For birdwatching during migration, combine local seasonal records with recent migration and weather information, then visit safe, accessible stopover…
- How to Choose a Bird Field Guide That Fits Your Birding — Choose a bird field guide by testing how quickly it helps you find several familiar local birds.
- Ethical Bird Photography: Notice When to Back Away — Ethical bird photography keeps enough distance for a bird to continue its normal behavior.
- How to Find Owls Without Disturbing Them — Find owls by researching locally possible species and habitat, then listening for natural calls and watching quietly from legal public routes at the right…
- Birding by Ear: A Beginner's Step-by-Step Method — Start birding by ear with three to five common birds on one familiar route.
- How to Use eBird Checklists Carefully — Use an eBird checklist to record one birding event with an accurate location, one calendar date, the correct observation type, honest time and distance,…
- How to Use a Spotting Scope for Birding — Mount the spotting scope securely on a stable tripod, find the bird first with unaided vision or binoculars, and aim at a fixed nearby landmark.
- Keep a Birding Field Journal You Will Actually Use — A useful birding field journal records the date, place, conditions, bird clues, and behavior while the observation is still fresh.
- Plan a Birding Trip Without Chasing a Checklist — Plan a birding trip around a place and its conditions, not a promised species list.
Bird Identification
- 27 Common Backyard Birds in North America (ID Guide) — The most common backyard birds in North America include the Northern Cardinal, American Robin, Blue Jay, Mourning Dove, Black-capped Chickadee, House…
- How to Tell Similar Bird Species Apart — To tell similar birds apart, list what both candidates share, then compare diagnostic differences in proportions, bill shape, overall pattern, behaviour,…
- Crow vs. Raven: 7 Field Marks That Separate Them — American Crows usually give clear caws, show a squared or gently rounded tail, and fly with regular rowing wingbeats.
- Identify Birds in Flight: What to Notice First — To identify birds in flight, begin with the whole silhouette, then watch wing action, tail shape, visible pattern, flock arrangement, and habitat.
- How to Identify Birds: A Beginner's 5-Step Field Method — To identify a bird, observe five things in order: size (compared to a bird you know, like a sparrow or robin), shape (silhouette, bill, tail, posture),…
- Seasonal Plumage: Identify Birds Beyond Breeding Color — For seasonal plumage bird identification, record the date and location, then compare the bird's size, shape, bill, wings, tail, behavior, and habitat…
Backyard Birding
- How to Attract Birds to Your Yard: Food, Water, Shelter — Attract birds to your yard by combining the three things they need: food, water, and shelter.
- Choose Native Plants for Backyard Birds — Choose native plants for backyard birds by starting with your location, light, soil moisture, drainage, hardiness, and available space.
- How to Prevent Birds From Hitting Windows — Prevent birds from hitting windows by treating the entire exterior surface of risky glass.
- Found a Baby Bird? What to Do—and What Not to Do — A fully feathered baby bird that can hop or perch is probably a fledgling; leave it nearby, keep pets and people away, and let its parents continue caring…