Birdwatching Resources

Whether you are just getting into birdwatching or a seasoned birder, it’s very helpful to have good birdwatching resources. Here are some of the most useful ones I frequently visit:

Merlin Bird ID App _ Created by the Cornell Lab, this app is amazing! It will help you identify birds by the sounds they make or from a photo you’ve taken. The app is free.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds _ This is my go-to site when I’m looking for details on specific birds, what their calls sound like, to check out bird webcams, learn what types of foods attract certain birds, birdhouse-building specifications and so on.

National Wildlife Federation _ The NWF has an excellent program called “Garden For Wildlife” which outlines the needs of birds and other wildlife that you want to attract to your garden. It also includes information on their Certified Wildlife Habitat program.

National Audubon Society _ Another great site that has a guide to North American birds, information on conservation efforts, photography tips, and their Christmas bird count.

Spokane Audubon Society _ If you live in the Spokane, Wash., area, this site enables you to become involved with the local group, look through bird lists, and learn what’s happening in the bird world locally.

Sibley’s Bird Books _ One of the most authoritative series of bird identification books around.

Birds of the Inland Northwest and Northern Rockies _ For those living in the same region I do, this is a pocket-sized bird identification book.

Nestbox Specifications _ If you want to build nest boxes for the birds in your garden, this website is a great resource for the dimensions they need to be.

Beginner’s Guide to Birdwatching _ This guide was created by HomeAdvisor and contains a lot of useful tips and links to other resources.