Let’s try birdwatching

Birdwatching is fun! It gives you the ability to identify wild birds in their homes (natural
habitats), using what they look like, the sounds they make, as well as the way they behave.
You don’t have to be an expert so give it ago right now in your own backyard. Most of the birds
you are likely to see will be common species, and there won’t be too many species to confuse
you. If you want to see more, why not take a trip out bush.

What should I be looking for?

Here are some things you should look for when Straight flight
watching birds: wings beating

Colour - Have a look at the colour of the bird. What

colour are their feathers, eyes or legs? Try to
remember where the colours are on the birds Gliding
bodies, such as around it’s eyes, on top of the
head etc.
Size - This might be hard without getting up close
Birds can move
with a tape measure, but take a good guess!
in the air in different
Flight - Think about the way the birds move. Do ways. A good way to
record this is by doing
they fly near the ground or high in the air? Do they
a simple drawing.
flap their wings rapidly or do they glide and soar?
Behaviour- What is the bird doing? What is it
eating?
Swoopy flight

You should try to choose and remember 2 or 3 things about each bird you see. You can write it down in a note book to
refer to next time. Or if you get really keen and buy a bird book, you can tick them off as you see them.

Do you have what it takes

What do i need? to be a Birdwatcher?
No special equipment is needed to be
a birdwatcher. However as you
Be sun smart, wear a shady hat,
sunscreen and drink lots of water.
Did You
become more interested, you might
want to get a pair of binoculars and a
Know?
field guide to help with identification. Birds are mos
t
active in the
Binoculars are a useful item for A notebook & early
A backpack to morning, so th
birdwatchers, but they can cost a lot pencil to record at is
keep your things the best time
so first borrow a pair and spend some in and leave
bird information. to
spot them.
time testing and trying them out your hands free.
before you buy.
You can even have a go at making
some yourself.
 Homemade binoculars
Homemade Binoculars are definitely not as good as real ones, but they are a
good way of helping you to learn how to focus your sight on a bird.
1. Get two cardboard tubes of equal length (toilet rolls are ideal).
2. Paint them if you like, most binoculars are black or silver.
3. Join the tubes together side by side with glue or sticky tape.
4. Attach a string to the sides with sticky tape or a staple to use as a strap.
5. Try them out. It is best to look for the bird without your binoculars at first.
Once you have seen one, lock it into your sight and move the binoculars
into your line of vision without moving your head. Practice doing this and
you'll be ready for real ones in no time.

Tips for successful birdwatching:

Be quiet - good bird watchers listen for the sounds that birds make, and they don't want to scare them
away so talk in a quiet voice.
Stay still - birds are scared by fast movements, so try to stay still. If you move around, do it
slowly.
Look carefully - birds are all around, so look up, look down and look carefully at
trees and shrubs, especially those with fruit or blossoms.
Be a Bird Detective - keep your eyes open for bird clues like, nests, dropped
feathers, droppings on the ground and damaged fruit or flowers.

Test your Observation Skills

out by taking the Birdwatching O B S E R V A T I O N B X
Wordfind Challenge P K D F X T Y T S Y I E D
R U C P I B H R S N U H R
Find each of the following words
A N X A B E E G O E K A A
BACKPACK HOBBY C E O O P H L C I O N V Y
BACKYARD IDENTIFY T Z H T T K U D M L T I K
BEHAVIOUR MORNING
I I V A E L C O G N F O C
BINOCULAR NEST
C S E V A B R A S U D U A
COLOUR NOTEBOOK
DROPPINGS OBSERVATION
E F G R U N O R B O I R B
FEATHERS PRACTICE A S G N I P P O R D U D L
FIELD GUIDE QUIET I D E N T I F Y K T I N E
FLIGHT SIZE P M G R U O L O C M U P D
SOUND L L I T S V A Z Q U I E T
STILL

A great simple field guide for bird species is Field Guide to

the Birds of Australia by either Simpson & Day or the one
by Pizzey & Knight.

Written by Emily Findlay