ABC’s of Bird Identification - Skill Development

To improve your identification skills, two pieces of equipment will be required – a good pair of binoculars and a good field guide.

When you're ready, you can go straight to the ID Basics pages or study some of the common ID challenges you will face.

Field Guides

You will need to acquire a good field guide for the birds in your area. Visit the field guides section of Birdzilla for a rundown on some of the better guides. Spend some time familiarizing yourself with the species groups, so you will have some idea where to start when you see a new bird.

Learn how the book’s index is organized (in the index, Fox Sparrow will be listed under “s” for sparrow rather than “f” for fox) so you can quickly find what you are looking for. Notice the order of the birds in the field guide. Most guides follow a similar pattern, with waterbirds in the front and songbirds at the back.

Some of the more popular guides are shown below. For the real novice, we really like the guides by Stan Teikla.

Binoculars

A pair of quality binoculars is a must. The good news is that lower-priced binoculars are getting better and better. While a $35.00 pair of binoculars may get your started, you will be disappointed in the long run. Expect to pay $100.00 for a usable pair of binoculars and $300 will get you a really nice pair that will provide years of service. Top birding binoculars can cost as much as $1500 or more.

Visit the binoculars section of this site for detailed information on binocular selection.

Other Birders

Your best source of information is other birders. Spend time in the field. Local or regional field trips are offered by many different organizations. Here are a few sources.

• local Audubon Societies
• bird clubs
• bird specialty stores
• state and national wildlife refuges and parks
• state ornithological society

New birders are always welcome to these groups, so don't be shy.

BirdzillaGames.com

Another good way to learn the names of many different species is to visit the Birdzilla Games web site. You'll find several easy -to-play games that will help you to naturally recognize over 100 different species, all while having fun. Its also a great stop for the kids and grandkids.