Bird Watching

Bird watching or birding is the observation and study of birds with the naked eye or through a visual enhancement device like binoculars. Bird watching, also called birding, is an activity which involves observing wild birds in their natural habitat. People at all levels of fitness and knowledge can be birders. There are a number of reasons to participate in bird watching, but most birders say that they simply enjoy the opportunity to go outside, learn about nature, and spend time with people who have like interests. The scientific study of birds is called ornithology.

Birding Tips For Beginners

  1. Go out , Sure you can find birds in the local park, even your own garden but visiting different habitats means finding more species.
  2. Timing is everything. Birds are most active during the first two hours after sunrise and before sunset, be there during this period of activity.
  3. Hear it, spot the bird.Be alert to Calls and Movement. This will help to locate birds. While looking for birds dont let your eyes linger on one spot for too long. Try it, it really works.
  4. A Good pair of Binoculars will enable identification and enhance the enjoyment of Bird watching. For more information, refer to binoculars section.
  5. Get an illustrated Field Guide .You will sooner than latter want more information, that only a field guide can provide.
  6. Carry a pen and notebook. Make notes, one cannot remember all that one see in an outing. Keeping notes will also help in identifying new species post the fact. Morever, meticulous notes are vital inputs for conservational efforts.
  7. Avoid bright colored clothes. For once let the birds get all the attention, Whites are a NO NO . Grey, Browns and Greens are the way to go.
  8. Tag along with Experience. In the early stages go birding with an experienced birder and listen carefully to what they say and observe their movements while getting into a good position to watch birds without disturbing them.
  9. Make bird sighting records. Records of sightings, activity and odd behavior can be rewarding.Apps like ebird, mybirdapp helps. Refer to Ebird.com

Binoculars

The basic tool to enjoy birding is a good pair of Binoculars. Every Binocular is classified on the basis of two numbers with an X (8 X 40 mm) in-between them.

  • The first number indicates the power of magnification.
  • The second number indicates the diameter of the objective lens in mm.

    • The greater the first number, the higher the magnification and the greater the second number, the greater the amount of light gathered and therefore the brighter/sharper the image.

    Binoculars Buying Guide

  • Premium Range Binoculars: starts upwards of Rs 40, 000

      • Swarovski
      Leica
      Zeiss

  • Medium Range Binoculars: around Rs. 25, 000

      • Nikon
      Bushnell
      Pentax

  • Economy Binoculars

      • Nikon
      Olympus

    Our Recommendation

  • Nikon 10 X 42 waterproof approximate cost Rs.20, 000.

    • Note

    A 8 X 40 or 10 X 42 magnification would be an ideal binocular for Birding. More experienced birders can use 10 X 50 magnification binoculars. These require steadier hands, although this would restrict the field of vision and make the binocular heavy.

    More about Binoculars

  • Buying Guide on Ebay
  • Guide on Bird Binoculars

    • Birding Ethics

    Birds are wild creatures under constant threat for survival because of shrinking of habitat and pollution. The least one can do is not to make things any worse for them by their actions. So, whether your interest in birds is photography, sound-recording or birding, remember that the interests of the subject must always come first. The following are some do's and don'ts for birdwatching.
    1. Support the protection of important bird habitats.
    2. Avoid chasing, repeatedly flushing, excessive use of squeakers and "pishing"
    3. Avoid 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 of Special Concern, or is rare in your local area.
    4. Repeatedly playing a recording of bird song or calls to encourage a bird to respond can divert a territorial bird from other important duties, such as feeding its young. Never use playback to attract a species during its breeding season.
    5. Do not ever use recordings to attract birds in Protected Areas.
    6. Keep well away from nests and nesting colonies, roosts, display areas, and important feeding sites to avoid disturbance and exposure to predators
    7. Do not photograph nesting birds as this encourages poor ethics and draws attention of predators to nests.
    8. Use artificial light sparingly for filming or photography, especially for close-ups.
    9. Stay on roads, trails, and paths where they exist; otherwise keep habitat disturbance to a minimum.

    Bird Habitat

    Forest

    India contains several different types of forests. Apart from the coastal mangroves, inland we have wet evergreen dry deciduous and desert thorn forests. Hill and mountain forests contain mixed broadleaf, moist oak, rhododendron and dry coniferous forests of pine, cedar and fir. Most forests are now declining. Forest birds are difficult to see, especially when they are concealed in dense canopy. They are best seen in clearings, flying from tree to tree or on the edge of forests. Frequently, assorted species form hunting groups or parties and move together through the forest searching for food. Finding and watching such groups is one of the best ways of seeing forest birds

    Deciduous Forest

    Deciduous Forest are made of trees that shed leaves during summer and get fresh leaves during spring. A very ideal place to watch forest birds because of open canopy, birds give confiding views. Fruit eating birds like Hornbills, Green Pigeons, Chloropsis, Bulbuls are easily seen in these forests(To be developed by VMR). A significant portion of Uttara Kannada district like Haliyal, Dandeli, Sirsi, Yellapur, Khanapur, Belgaum, Kalghatgi in Dharwad district are the places where these type of forests are encountered.

    Evergreen Forest

    A very fine habitat although very difficult to sight birds, this habitat is a treasure house of the Western Ghat endemics like the White bellied Treepie, Ruby throated Bulbul, Grey headed bulbul are some of the endemics encountered here. This habitat mainly occurs on the ridgeline of the Western Ghats in Uttara Kannada and Belgaum districts.

    Scrub Forest

    This environment occurs where the soil is not conducive for growth of rich and luxuriant vegetation. Degraded forest often turns into scrub forest. Other places where scrub forest occur are boulder strewn hills with poor rain fall and the fringes of wetland where the soil condition is saline or waterlogged. Birds like Great Indian Bustard and Jerdon’s courser inhabit this kind of Forest. The Black Buck Sanctuary in Ranebenur and Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary near Hospet are prime examples of this habitat.

    Grasslands

    The most important grasslands in our region are those occurring along the foothills of the Himalayas, the floodplains of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, the arid grasslands of the Thar Desert and those in peninsular India. These grasslands are under grave threat. The need for more farmland has meant that huge areas are being converted, drained and over-grazed. Birds like the Indian Bustard and the Swamp Francolin are highly threatened. The Bengal Florican, the Bristled Grassbird, the Rufous-vented Prinia and the Finn's Baya are grassland birds that may soon become extinct.

    Agriculture

    Though less than 50% of the region is cultivated, the biggest threat to natural habitats is from the ever increasing need to bring more and more land under cultivation to meet the food needs of the people. Every day large tracts of forests and grassland are cleared and marshes drained. While some birds like pigeons, doves and francolins can thrive on cultivated lands, every day natural habitat declines - putting more pressure on an already fragile ecosystem.

    Note

    This sounds obvious, but many birders spend the majority of their bird watching time and energy on poor locations. Some people have the advantage of looking out of their windows into the back yard to observe Nature's best. The rest of us need to get moving..

    Wetlands

    Mangroves, lakes, minor irrigation tanks, large and small reservoirs, rivers, bogs and other water bodies are loosely called wetlands, where water birds are to be found. Eg. Ducks and waders especially Wigeons, Bar-headed geese etc.,.

    Marine

    The coasts and Islands along the coast and at times the bigger Islands form the marine habitats. Birds like the White bellied sea Eagle, Gulls, frigates and many waders are found in this habitat. The shores of Karwar, Ankola, Kumta are the best example of this habitat in NKBN territory.