Welcome back to the Entryway to Birding blog! Last week, I had some tips and suggestions for how to get more comfortable identifying the birds you see with the Merlin ID app. But even with a handy field guide like Merlin in your pocket, it can be hard to feel confident in your skills when you’re new. This week, I’ve got some advice about staying confident (even if you’re only confident in what you don’t know!) and a list of some of my favorite non-field guide resources that have helped me feel like a more capable, assured birder.
Late last week, I was out birding at Cherokee Marsh when someone else on the trail noticed my binoculars. They asked for some help IDing a bird that they had taken a picture of, and held their camera screen towards me from a distance. I peered at it from several feet away, crossing my fingers that it was something I recognized. It turned out to be a close-up of a field sparrow—a great shot that showed the pink bill and clean chest with no streaking.
Here’s my own photo of a cute little field sparrow. Look at that lil’ pink bill! Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt
Outwardly, I chatted about the sparrow with them for a minute, but inwardly, I was breathing a sigh of relief that I was able to make a definitive ID. I was so nervous that I’d have to admit I didn’t know what their mystery bird was and that I’d look like I didn’t know what I was doing, despite the binoculars around my neck.
I had to stop and scold myself after thinking that thought.
After all, what’s so wrong with not having the right answer? What’s so hard about saying “Hmm, I’m not sure”?
Being unable to make an ID is not a sign of an inadequate birder. It’s the sign of, well … a regular birder. Birders of all experience levels will find themselves faced with birds they can’t definitively ID—whether it’s poor lighting conditions, too many leaves on a tree, a bird that flies away too fast, or simply a bird they haven’t seen before.
Sometimes you get stuck with nothing but an unflattering angle. Like, who the heck is this?! (It’s the rear-end of a black-throated green warbler—the same one I used Merlin to ID last week! Thank goodness he eventually turned around!) Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt
I have to remind myself of this—repeatedly. As a newbie to the hobby, it’s easy to get caught up in that desire to get really good, really fast. After all, it’s natural to want to be good at a hobby you devote so much time to! But birding can pose some unique challenges—it relies a lot on chance and timing, and there’s opportunity for uncertainty to creep in at every corner as viewing conditions change (i.e. your bird flies away!).
You should know that it’s totally normal to not be able to ID all the birds you run across. Even on group walks or field trips, there are birds that stump everyone. So, don’t waste your energy feeling self-conscious about your skill level.
Instead, be confident in what you do know and confident in what you don’t. Be willing to admit you have no idea what you’re looking at. It is, after all, the only way to learn.
What’s this sedge wren so adamant about? He’s telling you to stop beating yourself up because you couldn’t identify him on your first try! Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt
If you need help feeling like a confident birder, I’ve got some resources for you! Below is a quick list of some of the non-field guide resources that I’ve found myself turning to as I’ve grown into the hobby. These are resources that have made me feel more confident and assured in my skills, and I hope they are useful to you too!
This was one of the first books I rented from the library when I decided I wanted to get into birding and I’m so grateful for it. It’s a small book, but don’t let that fool you. It’s packed full of great general birding advice—the type of advice that you don’t always get from a field guide, but do get from other birders. Reading this book was like having a birding field trip leader explain the ins and outs of the hobby to me. I highly recommend it if you’re looking to feel more confident in your ID skills and more confident in your identity as a birder.
If you want to get better at birding by ear, check out Larkwire. It’s a game-based learning system that helps you learn bird songs. It’s set up like a matching game, where you’re given a set of birds (the categories of which you can tailor to your needs) with the goal of matching them to their bird songs. My favorite part about Larkwire is how it helps me hear the variety in each species’ song. The songs that play in the game are always varied, so you aren’t hearing the same recording again and again. I feel like it better prepares me to recognize songs in the field because I’m learning the features of a species’ song rather than committing a recording to memory.
The American Birding Podcast with Nate Swick
Okay, so this one isn’t as useful for improving your birding ID skills as my other recommendations, but I’ve found that listening to this ABA podcast can help you feel more confident in navigating the birding community. When I first tuned in, some of this podcast felt like it was in a different language—I didn’t quite know the lingo, I didn't get all the references, I was constantly Googling things to figure out some context. But all of that resulted in me picking up a ton of context about birding culture, the wider birding community, bird conservation efforts, bird science, and more! Each episode features a rare bird update, a feature story, and several other fun snippets that may point you in the direction of even more birding resources.
Birding is a never-ending learning experience. There will always be more to discover. There will always be birds that you just can’t ID. It’s all part of the challenge of this rewarding hobby.
So put aside any worries you have about your skill level and focus instead on being a confident birder. Ask for help when you need it, seek out knowledge, and improve your skills with practice and patience. That’s all you can do—the rest is up to the birds!
See you next week!
____
Caitlyn is the Communications and Outreach Assistant at Madison Audubon. She’s crazy for birds because they changed her life. She’ll be back next Monday with some tips and tools for birders, new and experienced! Between now and then, she’d love to hear about the birds you’re seeing and hearing. Leave a comment below or email to drop her a line!
