Sidney Fritz

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Have many interests in animals but birds are definitely a passion. It's unreal what kind of variety there is in that animal group and the colors - wow - just astounding. Below are some great reasons to get into a study of ornithology.

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Ornithology is a science and as such has many practitioners with advanced degrees, numerous universities that offer those degrees, and many organizations and journals that serve to disseminate the information in the field. The next time you travel, you can find a local birder who will show you around. You can also meet traveling birders who are interested in your area. Connect with a local birder who knows the local hot spots and have a great time birding. You may also like to get a head start by watching The Way of Birdwatching, an android app. How to Birdwatch Are you a frustrated amateur ornithologist because you can’t identify all the birds at your feeder, in the woods, along the roadside, or at the beach? Grab your hiking gear and read on for some quick tips for beginning birders. Be sure you have a decent pair of binoculars and have adjusted and practiced using them. See the Binoculars page. Always locate a bird first with your naked eye. The field of view through binoculars is much narrower, making it harder to search. Consider colors a bonus. Except under the best of conditions, it is hard to see feather colors accurately. Light reflection and shadows often distort, dull, or exaggerate colors. Consider other factors first. Of course, there are species for which accurate color determination is essential for accurate identification. Birdwatching Size is helpful, but conditions can be misleading. A bird soaring overhead or flying by may seem much larger or smaller than reality. A reference object is helpful – a tree, fence post, telephone pole, etc. Observe the shape or profile of the bird. A long-bill, long legs, or tufted head immediately eliminates many possibilities. Habitat is always a useful consideration. In the midst of a coniferous forest you expect to see a different set of birds (avifauna) than you would on an ocean shore or in a city park. Note the behavior. Wading in shallow water, climbing a tree trunk, swimming, diving through the air, emerging from a mud nest, or sitting on a fence post, all narrow the choices down considerably. birding4 Songs and calls are excellent identification mechanisms and sometimes the only way to distinguish them in the field by their calls; and it is not uncommon to hear birds but not be able to find them. This takes a lot more practice than learning visual characters. I find it easiest to learn songs and calls if I am able to watch the bird singing or calling. Use a good field guide as they identify characteristics (field marks) most helpful to identification. Finally, my most important recommendation for the beginning birdwatcher: go out in the field with those folks who know the birds. If you don’t have a friend who does, there is most likely a local Audubon Society nearby. Why birds? Why is the Bald Eagle – or any bird, for that matter- our national symbol? (The Bald Eagle was chosen as our national symbol by congress in 1782, although Benjamin Franklin preferred the Wild Turkey.) Why does every state have a state bird? Well, lots of states also have state mammals, flowers, rocks, and insects as well, but the birds are most well known. There are 10,000 kinds of birds but there are 80,000 species of beetles and 25,000 species of fish. Why don’t we have more beetle images on products and fish on state flags? Not just because birds are all around us – so are insects and trees. But because birds are also obvious as they move, they sing, and they are active all year around during the day. They are truly part of humans’ everyday lives, no matter where in the world one is. It’s hard to miss them.