I’m a backyard birder. I know the birds that come to our feeders, that nest in our trees and thankfully that dine on the many bugs that thrive on our property.
But I don’t always know that many birds outside our area.
This month we headed to the beach in Port Aransas, Texas with our dogs for a couple of days of fun before the summer heat sets in. As always, I enjoy checking out the birds at the beach, on the jetties and at the marinas – but I’m not good at identifying shorebirds!
This time, though, I decided to get more methodical about my birding and really try to put a name to some of the feathered faces I saw on our trip. Here’s how I discovered the names of some of the shorebirds I was enjoying seeing on our trip!
Use Merlin
Merlin is a free mobile app developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to help bird enthusiasts identify bird species. I have it on my phone and use it every day to help identify bird songs. You can record bird songs or calls, and the app will analyze the recording to identify the bird species. When we walked around on our trip, I just turned on the app and it started creating a list of birds it was hearing:
You can click on the names of the birds it identifies to learn more about the bird, their range and their calls.
The Merlin app also lets you upload a photo of a bird, and the app will provide a list of possible matches based on the image.
It also allows you to identify birds by answering a few simple questions about the bird you saw or heard. The app uses these inputs to suggest possible matches from a database of bird species. I haven’t had as much luck with this option or the photo identification. The sound identification is my favorite!
Visit a Local Preserve
I love visiting the bird preserves in Port Aransas but admit I don’t have the patience to sit for hours to try to spot different species – but that’s OK! Even a brief visit can help you see and appreciate the many species that call an area home and help to identify birds you might see during your stay.
Check out the birding sites at your vacation destination, even if just for a few minutes. Many will have signage identifying the birds of the area. Take a quick photo for reference later; you can always do a quick search for the birds you see listed to see more photos.
Also, birding sites often have boards where visitors list the birds they’ve identified that day. Check it out (and again, snap a quick photo) for a list of birds you can expect to see in the area at the exact time you’re visiting.
Find a Bird List
Similarly, many destinations publish birder checklists, literally a list of birds with checkboxes so you can check off the birds you’ve spotted. The names will give you a good starting point for searching possibilities when you spot a bird.
Many preserves and parks have these available online for download, and others offer them near the entrance to the preserve.
Identifying birds on your vacation adds one more layer of fun to your getaway. And, even if you’re not able to put a name to the bird, the recognition and appreciation of birds that are new to you is an activity in itself. Plus it gives you a new reason to plan the next vacation!
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