Resources for Birders
With birding's increase in popularity, the resources available have simply exploded. Books are more informative, better illustrated and more varied; the internet sites are superb; the cell phone apps are great and many work even without a cell connection. Since its launching in 2002, birders worldwide have contributed millions of sightings to eBird, making it a fantastic source of information.
Bird Id Guides
We advise you start with a portable one you can use in the field and as soon as you're hooked on birding, we advise acquiring a book - or books - which give more detail, for your home library.
Field Guidebooks, to carry with you
The Sibley Field Guide to Birds, Eastern North America; written and illustrated by David Allen Sibley; Knopf. Beautifully drawings with good descriptions. Sibley's books (there are many) are a wonderful combination of visual pleasure and succinct information.
Peterson Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern & Central North America, 7th edition; written and illustrated by Roger Tory Peterson; Houghton Mifflin. The ground breaking field guide; well-illustrated, with field marks clearly shown. It was first published in 1934. Many editions since then; it has been popular with generations of birders. The classic guide.
Shelf Books, to leave at home
The Sibley Guide to Birds, written and illustrated by David Allen Sibley; Knopf. A book you will want to consult when you return home from the field. An expanded version of the field guide; also covers both East and West Coasts.
The Crossley ID Guide, Eastern Birds; written and photographed by Richard Crossley; Crossley Books, Princeton University Press. Crossley's descriptions are excellent; he cleverly devised a way to use photographs for bird identification. Each species is illustrated by a collage of photographs; birds in different seasonal plumage, flying, perching; placed in their preferred habitat. Bird guide books that use photographs rarely present the generalized view of a species that an illustration can. Crossley overcame this issue by presenting many photos of a species, making the match to what you've seen and a photo easier.
Web Sites
In the last twenty years, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society web sites have become extraordinary resources. There are more of course, and you will discover your own. A search on YouTube will produce many interesting results, the best are from the American Bird Conservancy and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
National Audubon's site has a wonderful bird identification guide, articles about birding and birding equipment, how to take action to protect birds & the environment, gardening to attract birds and more. You can locate Audubon Centers all over the country to visit when you're traveling. Explore this site, it's an outstanding resource.
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has two sites, All About Birds (free) and Birds of the World (annual subscription $49). All About Birds is packed with information and links to live bird cams. Birds of the World is an ornithological encyclopedia. The photographs are terrific; the information will turn you into an instant expert on a species - if you can remember what you read. The general introduction to each species is most useful to an amateur; the photos and sound recordings are phenomenal. A subscription supports the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
eBird.org is a citizen science project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Birders submit list of birds they've seen, when and where. If you go to a unfamiliar place, you can find out where the nearby birding hot spots are. You can explore various regions; if you have a target species, you can find where it's been seen. The information flow goes both ways: you, as a birder, can find out what's being seen, where, when and by whom; ornithologists can track bird population trends. This has been a game changer for birders. The photographs are wonderful, too. It's also a wonderful tool to compile all your bird lists into one easily searchable location.
Cellphone Apps
We advise a handbook you can take into the field with you, but honestly, the cellphone apps are so good that’s all you need out birding. Plus you’re carrying your cellphone anyway. Purchase or find on your provider’s app store.
The Sibley eGuide to the Birds of North America uses Sibley's terrific illustrations. Will install on the hard drive of your cell; you can be out of cell range and still connect ($19.99) iPhone and Android
Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab uses photos. Helps you identify birds by narrowing choices by several important field marks and then suggesting possibilities. Uses photos, and will attempt to match a photo you've taken to a species. Free. iPhone and Android.
Where To Go Guides
See our section for our favorite places in Westchester, on Long Island, in the five boroughs of NYC and in the Hudson Valley. We've linked to the eBird hot spot for each place; there you can find out what species are being seen and when, and get driving directions
In addition, we recommend the following three guidebooks for more information about places to bird locally
The New York City Audubon Society Guide to Finding Birds in the Metropolitan Area, by Marcia T. Fowle and Paul Kerlinger, Comstock Publishing Associates, Cornell University Press, 2001. Covers the prime birding areas in the metropolitan area plus seven superb sites in New Jersey, and many others on Long Island, Westchester and the Hudson Valley. We hope it will be updated soon with web sites for the locations; nonetheless this 20 year old guide has aged well. Very good maps.
Birdwatching in New York City and on Long Island, Deborah Rivel and Kellye Rosenheim, University Press of New England, 2016. A more in-depth and current guide to birding places in NYC and on Long Island. Web sites, photographs and maps.
Birding the Hudson Valley, by Kathryn J. Schneider, University Press of New England, 2018. This book covers birding sites from Westchester County to Albany's Rensselaer County. The introductory chapters contain useful information about the geography of the region. Schneider provides a simple and thorough guide for birding beginners.
Binoculars and Scopes
Except for weather appropriate clothing, the only equipment a birder really needs is binoculars. Scopes are good to have, but that's taking equipment to another level. We suggest you go to a store where you can try out the binoculars. Go on a cloudy day; on a bright sunny day differences in quality won't be as noticeable. The biggest decision is how much to spend. This article on Audubon's site describes the choices from budget to high end. It also has a video on how to use your binoculars. It’s not as easy as putting on a pair of glasses.
A scope opens a whole new world. Ducks always like hang out on side of the lake opposite you, often too far away to see well with your binoculars. Here’s a link to the National Audubon Society's guide to purchasing one.