G3892 Birding in the | Badger State & Beyond HowDavid Drake to Get Started Scott Craven Jamie Nack American goldfinch Contents Introduction 1 Birds in Wisconsin 2 Eastern wild turkey Optics 3 Binoculars 3 Spotting scopes 5 Bird identification guides 6 Type of guides 6 Using your field guide 7 Identification by sound 8 Let’s go birding! 9 When? 9 Where? 10 How? 12 Baltimore oriole Related activities 13 Attracting birds to your yard 13 Photography 13 Citizen science, bird lists, and birding contests 14 Bird conservation organizations and groups 15 References and resources 16 Prairie warbler References to products and organizations in this publication are for your conve- nience and are not an endorsement of one product or organization over others that are similar. References are provided solely as examples of birding resources available to the general public. Ruddy turnstone irding has become one of people in Wisconsin spent more than Wisconsin’s most popular $744,000,000 on equipment such outdoor recreational as binoculars and spotting scopes, activities. It offers participants birding trip-related expenses, and many benefits, including relaxation, other items such as bird food, nest exercise, and an opportunity to get boxes, and identification books. All outdoors. People of all ages enjoy in all, bird watching can be as cheap Btraveling the world or exploring their or expensive as you choose to make own backyard for the sheer pleasure it, depending on your own personal of catching a glimpse of their favorite goals. bird, spotting a rare bird, or adding a This publication provides informa- new bird to their lifelong list of birds. tion on how to get started birding. Birding can be an inexpensive hobby It includes guidelines for selecting for the beginner or a serious invest- binoculars and spotting scopes, ment for the enthusiast. According to an overview of bird identification the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, guides, and tips on good times and Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated places for birding, as well as informa- Recreation, more than 2 million tion on other related activities. 1 Birds in Wisconsin ore than 400 species of birds have been recorded in Wiscon- Red-headed woodpecker sin. Approximately 15% of these species are year-round residents; the rest are migratory. Most of the migrants come into the state during Mthe spring and summer months to nest and raise young, then depart for warmer climates to the south during the winter. Some migrants spend the winter months in Wisconsin and nest farther north. And others spend less than a week or two in Wisconsin each spring and fall to rest and refuel as they travel between far northern Red-bellied woodpecker nesting grounds and southerly win- tering grounds. Still other bird species found in the state are accidental visitors. “Acciden- tals,” as they are called, are consid- ered vagrants. They visit Wisconsin on only rare occasions (i.e., every 5 years or less), primarily due to being blown off their migration course during stormy weather. Acciden- tals often cause great excitement throughout the birding community, Rose-breasted grosbeak as they provide a wonderful oppor- tunity to see a bird not common to the state. Whether they are year-round residents, migrants, or accidentals, Wisconsin’s birds represent an incredible diversity and can be found in every possible habitat within the Badger State. 2 Sandhill crane Binoculars Optics There are a wide variety of binoculars ird watching does not on the market. Prices range from require much equipment. under $100 to well over $1,000 and You certainly can find vary depending on brand name, lens and see birds with the naked eye, but quality and size, power, and weather- human vision is poor compared to proofing. When selecting binoculars, most animals. When trying to get a keep in mind the amount of money really good look at birds, especially you would like to spend and your Bat great distances, quality optics will level of interest. Ask yourself: Will give you a strong advantage. You’ll birding be my lifelong passion, an be able to scan vast areas and watch occasional outdoor activity, or just birds go about their lives without a passing fad? Then select your scaring them away. Optics can also binoculars accordingly, keeping in help you see birds in low-light condi- mind the old adage “You get what tions, or simply allow you to more you pay for.” vividly see the beautiful colors and markings used to positively identify birds. 3 Considerations OPTIC QUALITY—When comparing Regardless of your level of commit- binoculars, there are a few things ment, here are a few things to keep to consider about the quality of the in mind when selecting binoculars: image provided. Choose a pair that has a bright, clear, and sharp image POWER—Power refers to the level of that is free from distortion. Poor magnification a pair of binoculars optic quality causes your eyes to provides. On the body of all bin- compensate to attain good focus. oculars, you’ll find two numbers This leads to eyestrain, as your eyes separated by an x, such as 7x35. Here, are constantly adjusting to obtain the 7, the number before the x, tells clarity and detail that the lenses fail you that the bird will appear 7 times to provide. closer (or larger) than if using your naked eye. The number following FUNCTION—Select binoculars that the x, in this case 35, tells you the feel good in your hands and allow width of the front lens, in millimeters. you to quickly find and focus on The larger the front lens, the more objects. Binoculars come in all sizes light gathered by the binoculars—a and shapes. The best ones are those benefit for spotting and identifying that work for you—the ones that birds. literally feel right. In general, birders use binoculars OTHER FACTORS—Be aware of size, ranging from 7- to 10-power. At durability, weatherproofing, and higher powers (i.e., 9- or 10-power), a weight while selecting your binocu- bird will appear larger, but the field of lars. Weight is especially important; view (what you actually see through your binoculars will hang from your the binoculars) will be smaller, and neck or shoulders, and you will birds will be more difficult to locate. need to hold them up to your eyes Higher-power lenses also magnify for extended periods of time when any movement or shaking and thus viewing birds. If you use heavier bin- require steadier hands. A pair of oculars, you may want to purchase a 10-power binoculars will allow you to binocular harness to help spread the see greater detail, but 7-power bin- weight of the binoculars across both oculars will offer a wider field of view. shoulders. A single binocular strap Practical binoculars for birding are focuses all of the weight across your 7x35 and 8x40 because they perform neck, which can become painful. well in the forest or the backyard. Although 10-power binoculars offer a smaller field of view and are gener- ally heavier, experienced birders often prefer them for their greater magnification. 4 Try out several brands and models to Don’t be frustrated if these skills find the pair of binoculars that works develop slowly; keep working at it. best for you. In general, the beginner Because most birds tend not to sit will be well served by a moderately still, being able to find and follow priced pair of 7x35 binoculars of a birds using your binoculars will con- recognized brand name. tribute to your birding success. Using your binoculars Once you have a pair of binoculars, Spotting scopes you will want to practice using them. As your birding skills develop and Finding birds through binoculars you become more serious, you may can be both tricky and frustrating. wish to purchase a spotting scope. Start by locating and focusing your A spotting scope is a compact binoculars on fixed objects. Then, as telescope that is useful in areas you gain experience, locate a bird such as wetlands, lakes, and large with your eyes (without the binocu- open spaces that require greater lars) and stare straight at it. Without magnification than binoculars can taking your eyes off the bird, raise offer. Because spotting scopes are the binoculars to your eyes and relatively heavy and require steadi- focus. Repeat the exercise until you ness for viewing, they are com- are comfortable spotting birds and monly used with either a tripod or a bringing them into focus in your window-mounting device for use in a binoculars’ field of view. vehicle. Spotting scopes can range in magnification from 10x to 250x, but 30x to 40x magnification is usually more than sufficient for birding. When selecting a spotting scope, follow the same guidelines used for selecting binoculars, but expect to pay from $300 to several thousand dollars depending on your needs. 5 Bird identification guides ext you’ll need a field guide to use in your Types of guides quest for birds; it will help There are two main types of guides: you identify and learn more about those with illustrations and those the birds you see. Field guides are with photographs. Because an artist’s available on the internet or at your rendering provides a general repre- local library, birding store, or book- sentation from several points of view Nstore, and they are full of useful infor- and highlights the main features mation to help you properly identify used to identify a bird, most birders birds. At a minimum, a decent field prefer illustrated guides. Commonly guide will include several pieces of used illustrated guides include the information for each species listed: National Geographic Field Guide to a description of physical features; the Birds of North America, The Sibley an explanation of how to distin- Guide to Birds, and the Peterson Field guish male from female (and adult Guide to Eastern Birds.