If you enjoy birds, you can call yourself a birder!

Maybe you’re a longtime enthusiast who follows the habits of birds in your neighborhood or favorite local park. Maybe you’re a voracious lister who will jump in a car at a moment’s notice to see a rare species. Maybe you’re just starting to really notice birds.

There’s no right or wrong way to bird—to be a birder, you aren’t required to perfectly identify every single birds you see or hear, and maybe you don’t want to! No matter your style, the world of birds has something for everyone.

One of our goals at Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance is to encourage birders of all types, ages, and skill levels in their pursuit of this fantastic hobby, and follow the birder’s code of ethics. Indeed, birding is not just a hobby: according to the US Fish & Wildlife Service, it’s a huge part of who we are culturally, and it contributes significantly to our economy:

• 46.7 million Americans enjoy observing and feeding birds (Wisconsin’s percentage of birders ranks second highest in the nation, tied with West Virginia).

• $107 billion is spent on birding equipment and travel in the US.

• 666,000 jobs are created due to birding.

• $13 billion in local, state, and federal tax revenue results from birding.

• 17.8 million Americans travel to search for birds, putting millions into local economies.

some helpful resources for Wisconsin birders:

Or, Check Out A few of our birding-focused Resources:

Gear guidance

One of the beautiful things about birding is the fact that you don’t necessarily need expensive gear to participate. That said, many find that their experience is enhanced by tools, like optics (binoculars or spotting scopes that bring distant birds into clearer focus) or other outdoor essentials. Below are some helpful resources that can help you choose great gear that's perfect for your personal style.

• 6 Steps to Choosing a Pair of Binoculars You’ll Love (Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s All About Birds)

• The Best Binoculars for Every Birder (National Audubon)

• The Audubon Guide to Birding Gear (National Audubon)

Bird Identification

It’s fun to observe birds, but knowing exactly what species you’re looking at can be a challenge! Everyone learns differently, and bird ID is complex—from sounds to appearance, there are many clues that can help lead you to a solid bird identification.

Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance offers some courses and activities focused on bird identification and learning, including Birding by Ear, What the Duck?! (Waterfowl ID), and many more. Check out our upcoming courses here.

Accessibility in the Birding community

Birding is for everybody! Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance strives to create a birding community that is welcoming and accessible to all.

As much as possible, our organization provides advance information about terrain, conditions, and amenities available at field trip and event locations. Many of our Beginning Birder field trips and seated birding sessions (“sits”) are also designed with accessibility in mind.

Our friends at Birdability offer abundant resources by and for birders with disabilities and other health concerns, which we recommend checking out.

Here are a few helpful resources for planning your birding adventures in southern Wisconsin:

• Know before you go.
  The Birdability Map is an excellent crowd-sourced tool that contains user reviews of many natural areas, with details about the presence of steps, trail conditions, parking, and much more. If you’re visiting one of SoWBA’s sanctuary lands, review some of our recommended trails with maps and access details.

• Explore further, safer, and steadier.
  Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance is happy to offer an outdoor electric-powered wheelchair that can be reserved (for free!) to use at most of our events and field trips—just add a note to the form when you register! If you’re looking for an all-terrain option, Access Ability Wisconsin’s all-terrain outdoor wheelchairs (OWCs) are sturdy, easy to operate, and available for you to check out from a variety of participating host sites in multiple counties around the state. Reserve one here.

• If you lead bird outings or outdoor field trips, keep access considerations in mind.
  “Bird-focused Field Trips for All: Recommendations for maximizing inclusiveness and accessibility outdoors” is a set of guidelines put together by Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance and the Wisconsin Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired to help field trip leaders feel confident in serving all attendees and delivering the most accessible experience possible. Birdability also maintains a list of access considerations to consider when planning an outing.

Go Birding

Another beautiful thing about birding? There are so many different ways to bird, there’s something for everyone.

Some people enjoy the solitude of birding solo, while others enjoy sharing the experience with friends, family, or a local birding club. Wisconsin has a wonderful birding community, so if you want to find a group to go birding with, there are plenty of options!

Check out Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance’s upcoming events in the calendar here, or join an outing with our friends at some of these local bird clubs.

Local Bird Clubs:

• BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin
  This group was created to build community for and celebrate Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) bird lovers and allies. They lead field trips for all ages and experience levels in both the Madison and Milwaukee area.

• Feminist Bird Club - Madison chapter
  The Feminist Bird Club is dedicated to promoting inclusivity in birding while providing inclusive and safe opportunities for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, BIPOC, and women to connect with the natural world. Our local Madison chapter hosts lots of great field trips for all levels year round!

• The Wisconsin Society for Ornithology (WSO) maintains a list of bird clubs and nature centers throughout Wisconsin so you can find one near you!

More recommended Places to bird:

• Looking for a local birding locale or specific birding species? Use the eBird explore feature to find a hotspot to visit.

• Interested in birding by car? SoWBA staff have compiled some suggested locations to try in our Car Birding Hotspots map.

• WSO’s Favorite Bird Haunts include 800+ favorite birding locations across the state, organized on a map by county.

Even More fun stuff for birders!

Can’t get outside and go birding? Immerse yourself in a great bird-related book, show, or movie! Here are a few staff picks:

Bird cams and Documentaries

• Cornell Lab Bird Cams: an amazing list of live bird cams hosted by Cornell and partners (or watch clips from the archive).

• The Life of Birds: a must-watch BBC series (available on YouTube) about the amazing evolution of birds around the globe.

Podcasts and Radio shows

• BirdNote: vivid, rich stories about the world of birds. With 2,000+ episodes, you’re sure to learn something new!

• Ray Brown’s Talkin’ Birds: a live and interactive radio show about wild birds and the beauty of nature.

• Ologies podcast by Alie Ward: a selection of all birdy topics covered in this staff-favorite podcast (for edited, kid-friendly versions, check out the Smologies page).

Books, blogs, and Beyond

• Birding for a Better World by Sydney Golden Anderson and Molly Adams: a celebration of birding as an inclusive activity.

• Slow Birding by Joan E. Strassman: a guide to slowing down and appreciating the birds in your own neighborhood.

• The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan: charting her foray into birding and the natural wonders of the world.

• The Big Year by Mark Obmascik: an entertaining look at one of the most intense birding competitions (or watch the movie).

• Mind of the Raven, Winter World, The Homing Instinct, and other books by Bernd Heinrich: Heinrich transforms nature’s minutia into amazing stories of survival, evolution, and wonder.

• The Birdist’s Guide to Birding: a humorous online column on the quirks of our hobby.

• Bird and Moon comics by Rosemary Mosco: humor for bird lovers and nature enthusiasts.

Cover image by SoWBA. A pair of binoculars and an open field guide are laid out on the grass. A hand points to a page in the guide.