By Lorelle Sherman, OSU Extension Forester

Becoming a birdwatcher

Birdwatching is the perfect gateway to learning more about the ecosystem around us. Birds are excellent indicators of ecosystem condition because they respond to ecological change. If you plant native berry-producing bushes in your backyard, you may be visited by a suite of fruit-eating birds, like robins and bluebirds. If a wildfire burns through your forestland, you may discover new species of woodpeckers and flycatchers that utilize the influx of dead wood and open space. If you put a nectar feeder up… hummingbirds!

Through birdwatching, we can start to recognize the ways different species and resources are interconnected through the ecosystem services birds offer including seed dispersal, pollination, and insect control. Birds play a significant role in seed dispersal by both passively and actively transporting seeds, primarily through frugivory (eating fruits) and seed-caching behaviors (saving fruits for later). They digest the fleshy part of the fruit, leaving the seeds intact, which are then excreted often farther from the plant than would occur by wind dispersal. Some seeds even have adaptations to stick to bird bodies so they can be dispersed over long distances during flight. Recent studies have confirmed that several songbirds in Oregon (orange-crowned warbler, yellow warbler-rumped warbler, etc.) provide pollination services while foraging in flowers. The diet of birds ranges widely, but some species specialize in eating insects. Even species that lean towards herbivory as adults will feed their nestlings insects to ensure proper nutrition during rapid nestling growth. Collectively, bird populations can act as a control on insect populations and enhancing bird communities near crops has been a pest control strategy implemented in agriculture.

Birdwatching also allows us to key into changes in habitat over time, year-to-year variation in weather, and long-term changes in climate. In order to do this, we must recognize that there are resident species which remain local year-round, and migratory species which fly between breeding habitat and overwintering habitat. Resident bird populations can act as indicators of local weather patterns and ecosystem health, so monitoring their populations is valuable for public lands, local parks, and even our backyards (more on this later). Migratory bird populations can clue us into shifting weather patterns over time and large-scale changes to the landscape. For example, if warmer temperatures happen earlier each spring, we may see a mismatch in timing between the return of flower-feeding songbirds and the flowering of plants.

If you are new to birding, I recommend spending an hour each morning sitting in your backyard or favorite park with a notebook, field guide to western bird species, maybe a pair of binoculars, and possibly an identification app on your phone. Take notes on the different sounds you’re hearing. Are they long and melodic? Deep and guttural? Short, high-pitched chips? Practice taking notes on any birds you see. What color are the back feathers? The belly feathers? Any white bars on the wings? A long or short bill? How long is the tail? Take notes on the behavior of the bird. Where in the environment is it perched or flying? Is it bobbing its body up and down or flicking its tail? In my opinion, taking notes is integral to becoming a better birder. We are lucky to be birdwatchers during the rise of user-friendly technology that brings birding right to our fingertips. Websites and apps on our mobile phones are incredibly helpful and can be a tool in addition to your trusty notebook.

Next level birdwatching

The right app on your cell phone can help you identify species, log your bird sightings, and even connect with fellow bird enthusiasts. Here are a few of my favorite free technological resources:

• Merlin Bird ID – Developed by the experts at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, this app has several functions. The Bird ID feature guides users through a series of questions to narrow down the possibilities based on size, color, and behavior, offering a shortlist of potential matches The Sound ID feature records and analyzes the bird songs and calls around you providing real-time suggestions for the birds it detects. The app includes regional bird packs, has offline functionality, and is integrated with eBird allowing users to contribute their sightings to the global eBird database.
• eBird – Also created by Cornell Lab, eBird is a global online database and citizen science project where birders log their bird sightings, share data with others, and explore birding hotspots and species information. eBird allows users to track their life lists, target species, and create alerts for rare sightings. It is used by birders of all levels, researchers, and conservationists to understand bird populations, track migrations, and inform conservation efforts.
• iNaturalist – This joint initiative by the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society is based on crowdsourcing of observations and identification. While it’s not solely focused on birds, it’s a powerful tool for logging bird sightings alongside all kinds of flora and fauna. You can upload photos, get help identifying species from a global community of naturalists, and contribute to scientific research projects. It’s especially useful for birders who are also interested in the broader ecological context of their observations.
• BirdNET – BirdNET is another option for identifying birds based on their songs and calls. You simply record the sound around you, and the app processes it to identify likely species. It’s a powerful tool, especially when birds are hard to spot but easy to hear. Great for passive listening or nighttime birding.

Becoming a community scientist

Remember how birds can act as indicators of ecosystem function and health? We, as birdwatchers, can provide valuable information to researchers through our observations of birds. While traveling to the Oregon Coast or Malheur National Forest may be more your style, we can submit observations from our backyards, neighborhood parks, or favorite greenspaces. eBird and Merlin Sound ID have handy resources for birdwatchers who would like to ensure their observations are available for scientific research. Data contributed by community members has been used to create accurate range maps for species and track species population trends over time. This is science!

If you’d like to get involved in an organized community science effort, here are a few ways to contribute:

• Project FeederWatch – This survey occurs every November-April in an effort to capture winter bird abundance and distribution to the fine scale of weekly changes. This can be done from your kitchen window with a field guide in hand if you are strategic about feeder placement. All you have to do is select your site, install a bird feeder, and identify and count birds! There is a small fee for participation.
• Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count – This survey is the nation’s longest-running community science bird project and operates annually from December 14-January 5. CBC counts are a group effort and involve walking pre-determined routes within a designated 15-mile diameter circle to get complete census data of all birds within the circle. This is a great way to learn because beginners are paired with at least one expert. Participation is free.
• North American Breeding Bird Survey – If you are advanced in your bird identification skills, you may choose to get involved with a local Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) where pre-determined routes are surveyed by volunteers. In order to participate, you will need the ability to identify all breeding birds in the area by sight and sound and you will need to complete a methodology training program. The data collected is rigorous and therefore highly valuable to science.

Whether you choose to contribute to science through independent observations or through an organized effort, you can contribute to data gathering on a scale once unimaginable. The data is used by scientists to reveal how birds are affected by habitat loss, disease, climate, etc., and guides conservation efforts, including habitat restoration, species protection, and mitigation of threats to bird populations. Participation can be as simple as watching a feeder or as complex as running a BBS route, but there’s no better time to get started than today!