Birdwatching 101

Tips for the beginning birder

Southeast Missouri is home to more than 300 species of birds, not including the migrants and unusual species sometimes found in the area. There are many different ways and places to birdwatch in Southeast Missouri. �Birding,� as some call it, can be a way to learn more about nature and better appreciate the surrounding area and birds. Whether you are a casual birder or a deliberate birder, finding and learning more about birds can be exciting.

�Birding is a great way to get outdoors and appreciate the natural world,� says Dr. Allen Gathman, editor of Audubon Society of Missouri Journal, active birder and retired Southeast Missouri State University biology professor and dean of the School of Graduate Studies. �Birds make it relatively easy � they�re often both loud and visible � so you can get an idea of the astounding diversity of nature from them.�

Birding can be done year-round; there are new birds to discover in every season.

Hummingbirds visit a feeder in the backyard of Dr. Bill Eddleman Monday, Aug. 6, 2018 in Cape Girardeau. Kassi Jackson ~ kjackson@semissourian.com

According to Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center naturalist Jordanya Raos, people are more focused on migrant birds in spring and fall, and waterfowls in fall and winter.

There are many different ways to go birding. If you are a casual birder, like Raos, it may be easier for you to birdwatch while doing another activity.

�I like birding, but I�m more of a �let�s go boating and birding,� �let�s go hiking and birding,� �let�s go watch a ballgame and bird while we do that� [type of birder],� Raos says. �I do it with whatever else I�m doing.�

Some more deliberate birders, however, go on trips dedicated to birding. Gathman says birding as a hobby can take a lot of time and dedication. He keeps track of how many individuals of each bird species he sees or hears and puts that data into eBird, an international, public online database run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Through eBird, birders can share their sightings with other birders, find nearby hotspot birding areas and discover nearby bird species based on the latest sightings from around the world.

Sometimes birding can be as simple as sitting in your backyard and letting the birds come as they please. According to Raos, attracting more birds to an area can be as easy as having flowing water or a birdbath nearby. Even the way a yard is planted can attract more birds, Raos says. Feeding birds appropriately, planting the right plants and making sure a yard has native plants will help bring more birds to a backyard.

While birding can be fun, it is important to be safe and respect both the birds and other people nearby.

�Some birders will play recorded bird songs to get a bird to come in close to investigate; others feel this disrupts their breeding and shouldn�t be done,� Gathman says. �As for other people, you need to respect others who are using the public lands; I try to stay out of the way of hunters. As for private lands, I only go if I have permission from the landowner.�

For Gathman, birding is part of a lifelong pursuit in understanding.

�We are fortunate to live in a place that is very rich in wildlife,� Gathman says. �I sometimes tell people that my retirement goal is to learn all of the wild organisms in Cape Girardeau County, but I know that in fact, it would take several lifetimes to do it. Birding is a start.�

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Check out the following websites for more birding information:

__Mdc.mo.gov__, the Missouri Department of Conservation�s website

__Audubon.org__, The Audubon Society of Missouri�s website

__ebird.org__, an international database run by the Cornell Ornithology Lab with information used by researchers around the world

__Allaboutbirds.org__, to learn about birds and their songs

__Greatmissouribirdingtrail.com__, to navigate Missouri birding hotspots