How to Find Birds

About 70 million people in the United States - about one in four - consider themselves birdwatchers. They are a diverse lot - from casual birdwatchers who peer at cranes from their car windows one weekend a year or who watch birds at a backyard feeder to birders who drive

One of every four Americans is a birdwatcher. Interest in watching birds ranges from casual to intense, from those who walk nature center trails once or twice a year to those who drive through the night to glimpse a rare species.

across the state or fly across the country at the drop of a feather to add some vagrant species to their life list. Those who search for birds regularly become very good at finding them. They seem to have a sixth sense about where and when to look. While luck always plays a role in finding birds, it is experience and technique that guides expert birders to their quarry. Equally important is the amount of time spent searching. Birds are not found by sitting on a sofa reading the Sunday newspaper.

Time and Place

Perhaps the greatest difference between those who find birds they seek and those who do not is knowing when and were to look. Such knowledge comes with experience, but there are shortcuts for birders who are beginners or who are in unfamiliar locations. Such information can be found in a general sense in most field guides, but more precise information is available in regional books that give the range and migration peak for each species. Weather can delay or advance when a species passes, arrives and departs, but on average, birding when a species's

Poised to flee, a warbling vireo might offer a birder no more than a second to make an identification. To avoid alarming birds and to get longer views, birders should remain quiet, move slowly.

migration is at or near its peak enhances the chances of finding it. These books typically provide information about what region of a state a species is most likely to be found in, its preferred habitat and often precise locations. The best book for such information about Nebraska birds is Birds of Nebraska by Roger S. Sharpe, W. Ross Silcock and Joel G. Jorgensen.

A good source of information about Nebraska's breeding species is The Nebraska Breeding Bird Atlas, 1984-1989, by Wayne J. Mollhoff. Based on real observations, species accounts in The Breeding Bird Atlas have detailed descriptions of where each species is found during its breeding season and of the habitat it nests in. To optimize your chances of locating a particular species, learn everything there is to know about its life history and habitat requirements.

There is, of course, an alternative to seeking a certain species. It is simply going to a place that birds frequent and being delighted with whatever you find.

A birder can never have too many maps. County maps and bound atlas maps of Nebraska are valuable aids in locating wildlife management areas tucked away in a maze of county roads. In an area like the Rainwater Basin, where public bird areas are abundant, a county map allows birders to plan routes from one area to another, and to the closest small town with a cafe. Birders with a sense of adventure look at county or atlas maps and discover out-of-the-way roads through good birding areas. Roads passing through drainages, woodlands or wetlands are usually good birding routes. Some atlas maps are plotted over a base topographic map suggesting the type of terrain and land cover likely to be encountered. While exploring new places far from home adds an element of adventure to birding, do not overlook nearby places that may be birding hotspots. Many city parks are wooded and have either ponds or streams that attract migrating passerines. Cemeteries with coniferous trees are also good spots.

Beginning birders should seek the recommendations of more experienced birders. As a rule, birders generously share information. If there is a birding club near you, join it and learn from others. If not, make arrangements to accompany such groups on any of their regular field trips or counts. The Nebraska Bird Review is filled with field reports of where other birders have found certain species and when. There are on-line discussion sites, bird chat rooms and rare-bird alerts specific to Nebraska. (See Additional Sources, page 150). When visiting a wildlife refuge or sanctuary, talk with a local biologist or naturalist. He or she can often narrow your search for specific species to the best sites.

Clothing

It is not necessary to dress like a commando to be a successful birder, but dressing in a way that alarms birds should be avoided. The best circumstances to view birds occur when birds are relaxed, unaware or at least accepting of the presence of the birder. Longer views allow birders to distinguish field marks and make positive identifications, and increase the chances a birder will see interesting behavior. Birds obviously see colors, otherwise bright nuptial plumages would not exist, and they will detect an upright creature wearing bright colors. Earth- and plant-colored clothing that blends with a bird's environment is less likely to cause

Urban birds, such as the female cardinal are accustomed to being near humans. Attracted to feeders and water, they often allow a close approach but are best observed at close range through a window. Even then, sudden movements or noise will cause them to leave.

alarm. Birders should avoid white clothing. A flash of white is one of the most common visual alarms in the natural world. Consider the message transmitted by the bobbing, white patch of a white-tailed deer's tail, or the marginal tail feathers of a flushing junco. Camouflaged clothing provides the ultimate in concealment, which is especially important if a birder's object is more than simply seeing and documenting a species. Quiet clothing is twice important. Stiff clothing is noisy, alerting birds to the presence of danger, and it muffles birds' vocalizations, which are clues to their identity and location.

Limit Movement

Nearly as important as blending with the bird's environment is limiting sounds and movements that cause alarm. Many birders find these skills difficult to master. As a species, humans seem to be constantly talking and moving, especially when in groups. While birding is often a social endeavor, talking is best reserved for after the observation is complete or at the end of the day.

Most birders actively stalk their quarry - a tactic that usually increases the number of species they see. It is best to move slowly and stop often. Skilled birders do not just look for birds, they look for parts of birds - a patch of glowing red on a red-winged blackbird

Isolated trees and water on grasslands attract a variety of bird species, especially during migration periods. During the breeding season isolated trees are almost sure to have one or more bird nests, whether a Swainson's hawk or Baltimore oriole.

deep in cattails, or a tree sparrow's beady black eye in a tangle of chokecherry bush. Motion, a sudden flit of brown in woodlands, is often the only hint of a bird's presence. Watch for it. The elaborate vocalizations of birds are evidence of their keen sense of hearing. Moving quietly increases the number of species birders see. Following trails, whether man-made or a deer trail, minimizes alarming noises made by crushing dry leaves or snapping twigs.

If you flush a bird unexpectedly, especially a passerine species, remain motionless and settle into a comfortable position. The bird might have an attraction to that location, perhaps a nest or a source of food or water, and will return. To approach a bird more closely, move a few steps, then pause, allowing it to become comfortable with your presence. Approaching a bird obliquely is less alarming than moving directly toward it. If a bird is distressed by your presence, it is likely the bird has a nest or young nearby. Back away and observe from a distance. No observation is worth jeopardizing a pair of birds the one chance a year they have to produce young.

Sitting still in good bird habitat and allowing birds to reveal themselves and resume their normal activity can be a rewarding experience. While the glimpse of a rare Sabine's gull or cordilleran flycatcher is an exciting observation in Nebraska, watching a pair of American coots at their nest for a morning reveals far more about the life of birds. Clothing appropriate for the situation is important if a birder is to remain comfortable and nearly motionless for long periods of time. A swath of camouflaged netting makes a lightweight and portable blind from which to observe birds at close range.

As a rule, with conspicuous exceptions, birds are most active in the early morning hours and at the end of the day. After a night on the roost, birds are eager to spread their wings and search for food. And at the end of the day, most want to feed again before night falls. Males are conspicuous early and late as they claim and defend territories during the breeding season. During the heat of summer, most nesting birds need to be on the nest in midday to

Give a bird a perch, even a Wilson's snipe, and it is sure to use it to advertise its territory, watch for danger or preen.

shade eggs or young. Even grassland species adapted to Great Plains summers seek shade in woody thickets or the shadow of bunchgrass. Fortunately, periods early and late in the day are also the most pleasant times to be afield, especially in the summer, when the light is soft and winds are usually light. The best birders do not sleep in, but like the birds they seek, they may nap in midday.

Hunt the Edge

Passerines, the perching birds, are the largest order of birds. That alone suggests that a birder wanting to find a large number of species should look where there are perches. Forty-eight percent of Nebraska's breeding bird species are associated with woodlands. Nebraska was a prairie state and much of it yet today remains sparsely wooded. That does not mean there are no birds where there are no trees.

But even grassland passerines - species so well adapted to treeless plains the courtship songs of some are issued while in flight - appreciate a perch. For a grasshopper sparrow, a perch may be no more than a milkweed stalk. Others, such as sedge wrens, do quite nicely perching on nothing more than several grass stems clutched in their feet. Small grassland birds do not need trees, but where a fence runs through a grassland they will perch, sing, preen and peruse for danger from fence posts and barbed wire. To attract birds, edge habitat does not need to be the textbook example of towering forests stair-stepping down to shorter pioneer trees, then shrubs, then grassland. A patch of scrubby willows or wild indigo along a Sandhills stream draws migrating and nesting birds like a magnet.

If there is a rule to finding the maximum number of birds in an area, it is to not neglect any landforms or vegetation deviating from what is most abundant. In a woodland, look for grassy openings. And conversely, any break in uniform grasslands is sure to attract birds - fences, shrubby plants like sage, rock outcrops, a gathering of trees and water. The best of all is a cluster of cottonwoods or willows around a small pool of water. Sit quietly near one of these migrant traps in May, and you will be rewarded with a variety of perching birds. Water - whether open water in a spillway below a reservoir in the depth of winter or a temporary pool of rainwater in a Panhandle grassland - attracts birds and is seldom a disappointing stop for birders.

While many bird species are associated with woodlands, dense, mature woodlands

For grassland and edge species, such as the American goldfinch, a common mullen flower stalk is a desirable perch.

are relatively impoverished in both species and individuals. Find a break in a dense woodland, where a giant oak or cottonwood has fallen or where a small wetland allows sunlight to penetrate, and there will be more birds of different species than in deep woods. Grassy openings and the outer margins of woodlands support a greater and more varied avifauna than deep woods. Where ponderosa pine woodlands merge with deciduous woodlands along drainages in the Pine Ridge is an incredibly rich zone for bird life. However, some species, such as ovenbirds, seem to shy away from sunlight. To find them a birder must search the forest.

Finding and watching birds should never be anything but a delightful experience. We are a competitive species, prone to count and name every creature, and to compare our accomplishments with others. But when the joy of birding becomes something other than the joy of viewing the Earth's most wondrous creations we have lost our way.

Code of Ethics

Everyone who enjoys birds and birding must always respect wildlife, its environment, and the rights of others. In any conflict of interest between birds and birders, the welfare of the birds and their environment comes first.

Promote the welfare of birds and their environment. To avoid stressing birds or exposing them to danger, exercise restraint and caution during observation, photography, sound recording, or filming. Limit the use of recordings and other methods of attracting birds, and never use such methods in heavily birded areas or for attracting any species that is threatened, endangered, or is of special concern or rare in your local area. Keep well back from nests and nesting colonies, roosts, display areas, and important feeding sites. In such sensitive areas, if there is a need for extended observation, photography, filming, or recording, try to use a blind or hide, and take advantage of natural cover. Use artificial light sparingly for filming or photography, especially for close-ups. Before advertising the presence of a rare bird, evaluate the potential for disturbance to the bird, its surroundings, and other people in the area, and proceed only if access can be controlled, disturbance minimized, and permission has been obtained from private landowners. The sites of rare nesting birds should be divulged only to the proper conservation authorities. Stay on roads, trails, and paths where they exist; otherwise keep habitat disturbance to a minimum.

Respect the law and the rights of others. Do not enter private property without the owner's explicit permission. Follow all laws, rules, and regulations governing use of roads and public areas. Practice common courtesy in contacts with other people.

While group birding, each individual has responsibilities as a group member. Respect the interests, rights, and skills of fellow birders, as well as people participating in other legitimate outdoor activities. Freely share your knowledge and experience. Be especially helpful to beginning birders. If you witness unethical birding behavior, assess the situation, and intervene if you think it prudent. When interceding, inform the person(s) of the inappropriate action, and attempt, within reason, to have it stopped. If the behavior continues, document it, and notify appropriate individuals or organizations. Be an exemplary ethical role model for the group. Teach through word and example. Keep groups to a size that limits its effect on the environment, and does not interfere with others using the same area.