How to Start Birdwatching (Even If You Don’t Have a Backyard)

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Contents

How to Bring the Birds to You When to Catch Birds at Their Busiest How to Know What You’re Seeing and Hearing You Don’t Need to Be in the Woods to See Wild Birds Birding Kit 101 PRO Solar-Powered Bird Buddy Hummingbird Feeder Wild Bird Food Monarch M5 8×42 Binoculars Backyard Guide to the Birds of North America, 2nd Edition “The Sibley Birder’s Life List and Field Diary” by David Allen Sibley Smart Bird Bath with Camera Chair One Portable Picnic Blanket Adirondack Chair Set

It helps to have a tree. But it’s not required. At our house upstate, there’s one right in front of our back deck—and we’ve spent hours watching it from our Adirondack chairs. Robins poke around in the grass. Cardinals flit between branches. A blue jay dive-bombs anything that gets too close. Over time, we’ve started learning their rhythms, tracking who shows up when, and tuning in to every rustle and flutter.

But you don’t need a backyard to get into birding. Just find a place to sit and look up: a patch of grass, a fire escape, your local park. Then add a willingness to slow down. Once you start noticing birds, you’ll realize how many people are already doing the same.

How to Bring the Birds to You

solar powered bird buddy — Dustin Fenstermacher

We use Bird Buddy, a solar-powered smart bird feeder with a built-in camera and AI that logs visits and alerts us when a new species stops by. The app syncs to your phone so you can check in from anywhere. It even recognizes squirrels (frequent uninvited guests.)

To attract hummingbirds specifically, you’ll want to add a sugar-solution feeder. They’re inexpensive, easy to hang, and bring those tiny, jewel-colored birds up close as they hover and dart.

When to Catch Birds at Their Busiest

Spring and fall are peak migration seasons—when birds are on the move and more likely to stop for food or rest. You’ll see species you won’t spot any other time of year.

Early mornings and evenings are prime viewing windows, when birds are most active, either feeding at dawn or settling in for the night. And don’t skip the post-rain window. As soon as the skies clear, birds often reappear en masse to forage—especially robins, who take full advantage of worms and insects brought to the surface. It can be one of the most animated and rewarding times to watch.

How to Know What You’re Seeing and Hearing

You no longer need to carry a guidebook or memorize markings to identify birds. One of the best tools for beginners is Merlin Bird ID, a free app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It can recognize birds by photo, sound, or even a few basic descriptors. Download one of their regional packs (like “US Northeast”) for offline use—especially handy if you’re out birding in an area with patchy cell service—to look up birds on the go.

Often, you’ll hear a bird before you see it. Merlin’s “Sound ID” feature is especially satisfying: tap the “sound” button and it’ll listen in, and tell you who’s singing. Once you start listening—really listening—you’ll realize just how many different calls surround you.

Analog options work really well, too. Over the July 4th weekend, I watched a friend get frustrated trying to enter vague bird descriptions into an app. After handing him a laminated fold-out guide to New York State birds, he was able to quickly ID an Eastern Bluebird and an American Goldfinch darting through the trees just by scanning its visuals. Sometimes, a paper guide really is faster than digital.

You Don’t Need to Be in the Woods to See Wild Birds

Rather not leave home? You can still see plenty in your local park or by tuning into a webcam. Two excellent sources are the National Parks Service, which lets you view a bald eagle’s nest in real time, and the CornellLab of Ornithology cam to see everything from hummingbird feeders in Panama to great horned owls in Austin, Texas.

Additionally, many local parks offer guided bird walks for little or no cost or have live bird tracking on social media. For example, in New York City, Central Park is arguably the birdwatching capital of the five boroughs, with more than 280 species recorded. (To see what’s flying overhead today, follow @BirdCentralPark on X, which logs sightings in near real-time.) Prospect Park isn’t far behind—and hosts the country’s first urban Audubon Center. Meanwhile, baby red-tailed hawks are often spotted learning to fly between the rooftops around Washington Square Park.

Chances are, your city has something similar: a neighborhood birder, a Facebook group, or a local account sharing updates and tips.

Birding Kit 101

If you’re ready to invest a little more, a good pair of binoculars makes a real difference. I use (and love) my Nikon Monarch M5 8×42 binoculars, which are lightweight, durable, and have a wide field of view. A robust field guide and birding journal are also useful resources once you get more into birding and want to track what you’ve seen, where.

And don’t forget the basics: water, sunscreen, and maybe a camp chair or outdoor blanket if you’re settling in for a longer session.

Once you start seeing birds, you can’t unsee them. Birdwatching teaches you to pay attention—to color, to movement, to sound. What starts as a glance turns into a habit. The birds were always there. You just needed to look.