Getting ready to birdwatch

Important things to remember when watching birds

Even watching birds has serious implications for birds and the environment. The following guidelines are good practice, common sense and should enable birds and other wildlife to continue living in their special habitats, so that bird watching can continue into the future.

• Avoid disturbing birds and their habitats
• Be an ambassador for bird watching – set a good example and encourage others to behave responsibly when bird watching
• Get to know the law and the rules for visiting the countryside, whichever country and part of the countryside you are in, and follow them strictly
• Respect the interests of birds, other wildlife and local people before passing on news of a rare bird that you have seen. Let your local BirdLife Partner know and they can take measures to protect the bird, first and foremost

Alejandro Torés Sánchez The Corn Bunting can be found in farmland across Europe Zoom In

Birdwatching equipment

Some birds can be identified without any equipment at all, but very often some basic equipment will be required.

Binoculars

Binoculars help provide better views of the bird and enable you to gather more details to help with identification. Often binoculars or even a telescope are essential.

Field guides

A field guide gives details which are important for identification. European or national field guides are available in almost all European countries in national languages. Find one that suits you through good bookshops, or via the Internet.

Notebooks

A notebook can be useful for taking down details of sightings. It is important to take notes of any unfamiliar birds, instead of relying on memory.

It is easy to make mistakes in looking through a field guide and find the bird that fits the description closest. Drawing a quick (pencil) sketch can be very useful – using pencil means there is less chance of the drawing smudging if the notebook gets wet.

Identifying birds

Getting to know the main points of identification can help distinguish between species and use field guides more effectively.