5 Ways to Enjoy Birds in 2022

Top guides for birding, mindful bird sits, bird ID, photography, and a virtual festival for all bird lovers.

 

Joy of Birds Dear KAREN, Are you looking for more joy in 2022? We have the answer for you. You guessed it – BIRDS! Birds keep us enraptured while they zip around our neighborhoods, serenade us with songs, and quietly hop along searching for tasty bugs. Not to mention their wild courtship dances, epic migrations, and raucous competitions. It's better than Netflix drama any day. Thankfully, enjoying birds is the perfect activity while social distancing. It's safe, restorative, and downright thrilling. Not sure where to start? We've got you covered. Check out our Birding 101 guides below. May the birds bring you joy in 2022, Sarah Rose Executive Director Audubon California

Tufted Titmouse. Photo: Devin Grady/Audubon Photography Awards

Audubon Bird Guide App The Audubon Bird Guide App is a free field guide to over 800 species of North American birds, right in your pocket. Built for all experience levels, it will help you identify the birds around you, keep track of the birds you've seen, and get outside to find new birds near you. With over 2 million downloads to date, it is one of the best and most trusted field guides for North American birds. Download the App

Virtual Love of Birds Festival: Jan. 26-28th An unconventional team of scientists, survivalists, artists, photographers, and conservationists are coming together online to share their love of birds for three action-packed days. From beginners to advanced bird nerds, all are welcome. Speakers include Marshall Johnson, Audubon Society's Chief Conservation Officer, Freya McGregor, Birdability Coordinator, Kenn Kaufman, author of popular nature field guides, and Molly Tsongas of Audubon California who is offering mindful bird sits. The virtual festival is from January 26-28th – come get your bird love on. Register Now

How to Start Birding Outside your door, on your way to work, at the beach—birds are everywhere. If you've been considering joining the ranks of the 47 million birders in the United States, there's no better time than the present to take the plunge—or at least dip your toes in. But wait. Where should you go? How do you even find a bird? Which bins should you choose? If you're a novice, this handy primer will give you the tools you need to venture into the field with confidence. So go on, start exploring. View Birding Guide

Birders. Photo: Luke Franke

How to Do a Mindful Bird Sit Mindful bird sits are a simple yet potent practice that cultivates a quiet mind, relaxation, and a deep love for birds. A bird sit is the perfect activity to do from your window, backyard, or stoop. Simply sit and quietly watch the birds for 10-20 minutes. You may notice how bird songs help you relax and how their alarms make you pay closer attention. While sitting, ask yourself, "What are the birds doing right now?" and simply observe their behaviors and vocalizations. You will discover the exciting drama in birds' everyday lives right outside your door. Learn more about mindful bird sits.

Bird Sit. Photo: Kern River Preserve

7 Clues to Identifying Birds Before you judge a bird by its color, use Kenn Kaufman's top 7 clues to guide you. Birds come in all sorts of eye-catching hues but the color isn't always the best place to start when trying to identify a species. Bluebirds aren't always blue, goldfinches aren't always gold. By learning key information about bird groups, shape, size, behavior, habitat, season, field marks, and voice, you will quickly be able to identify any bird, anywhere, any time! Read the top 7 clues to bird I.D.

Great Gray Owl. Photo: Deanna Beutler/Audubon Photography Awards

How to Take Better Bird Photos From tools to techniques, here's what you need to know to get started doing bird photography—or to up your game. Maybe you're a bird lover who doesn't know your f-stop from your ISO speed. Or maybe you're an experienced photographer who's starting to discover the charms of the things with feathers. Whatever brings you to the world of bird photography, we've got the instruction, pro tips, gear recs, and inspiration you'll need to take breathtaking bird photos. Read more

Sandhill Crane. Photo: Mary Lundeberg/Audubon Photography Awards

Donate to Protect California's Birds

CONNECT WITH US

Audubon California 220 Montgomery Street, Suite 1000, San Francisco, CA 94104-3443 USA (415) 644-4600 | ca.audubon.org © 2022 National Audubon Society, Inc. Update your email address or unsubscribe