Birding is one of the most effortless activities to enjoy, don’t you think? The birds are where we find them, the air is free, and all we need for gear is our binoculars, our trusty field guide…and our Internet-ready computer. Yep! Not since optics technology supplanted “shotgun ornithology” has anything transformed birding as radically as the Internet. Have you been virtual birding yet?
Birding and the Internet were made for each other, because both are all about sharing information -- particularly timely information. And what could be more time-sensitive than the specific location of a bird? Birding, like the Internet, is also about community: sharing sightings, reports, knowledge, and ideas to help others to enjoy birding more. The Internet is a great place to find answers to questions like “Where are the good birding spots in my area?” “What cool birds can I see in my area right now?” “How do I keep those pesky squirrels off my feeders?” “Where can I take this injured fledgling I just rescued from the neighbor’s cat?” The Internet is also a fun, easy way to connect with people in your local birding community.
Birding on the Internet is both eminently practical and unpredictably wacky at the same time. It is the Internet, after all, with all its foibles and quirks. So…point your Web browser at your favorite Internet search engine -- Eons’ cRANKy, of course -- and let’s go virtual birding!
If you haven’t yet explored how the Internet can broaden your birding horizons, you’ll really be amazed. Among the multitudinous birding resources just waiting for you in cyberspace are:
• Online field guides and loads of bird ID help. My personal favorite is the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s All About Birds.
• Contact information for your local birding club and outing group. One webpage that lists lots of clubs all across America is view link. Our nationwide bird clubs include the National Audubon Society and the American Birding Association, which everyone calls the ABA.
• Birding festivals and conventions. The ABA thoughtfully maintains a comprehensive directory at view link.
• The websites of popular birding magazines like Wild Bird and Bird Watcher’ Digest.
• Everything you always wanted to know about bird behavior and avian natural history. One website among many to check out is Don and Lillian Stokes Birds at Home.
• The latest data on species distributions and populations, and ornithological research in general. One site worth a visit is the Bird Conservation Node.
• Online shop-pertunities for everything from binoculars to bird books to clothes.
• Fun! Pictures and writing about all things birdy. If you love hummingbirds, bluebirds, or maybe even European Starlings, guess what -- you’re not the only one! Spend a little time searching and you’ll find what and who you’re looking for.
But it’s not just what you know, it’s who you know
People are often much better sources of information than web pages. So, in addition to browsing the Internet for information, I also highly recommend that you subscribe to your local bird e-mail list, at least for a trial run. “What’s a bird e-mail list?” you ask? E-mail lists (sometimes called “listservs”) are programs that redistribute e-mail to their subscribers. When one person sends a message to the list, all the subscribers automatically get it. The purpose of bird e-mail lists is to share sightings, information and questions about birds. Different lists are nationwide, statewide, or local in scope. They are sponsored by a wide range of individuals or groups, but they are always free of charge.
So, for example, if I’m out birding in my neighborhood and I see a bird I know others will want to see also, I can inform a huge number of people just by sending one e-mail addressed to MAINE-BIRDS, our statewide list. Imagine getting e-mails every day about what cool birds are being seen in your area, who’s going birding where and when, and who’s presenting at your local bird club’s next meeting. You can also contribute your own personal burning birding questions, report your sightings, and correspond with other birders. It’s wonderful!
Usually, the process of subscribing to a bird e-mail list involves communicating with a rudimentary piece of software that resides on the “list server” computer. This process can be less than user-friendly, but it’s generally pretty simple. If you don’t quite get it right the first time, don’t be dissuaded! Follow the directions literally and precisely. The fun you’ll have is worth a few minutes of aggravation.
The first step, of course, is to find the list(s) you might want to subscribe to. Links to pretty much every state and regional bird e-mail list out there can be found on the funky but fabulous Birdingonthe.Net website. If you happen to live in California or plan to bird there, an interactive map to a couple dozen bird e-mail lists in that state alone can be found at view link.
A must-visit site if you’re into seeking rare birds is the National Birding Hotline Cooperative website. The NBHC family of e-mail lists has been helping birders use the Internet to share info since 1990. They run on a list server named listserv.arizona.edu. Some of the lists (the BIRDEAST, BIRDCNTR, BIRDWEST and BIRD_RBA lists) are used solely to rapidly collect and distribute rare bird alerts, aka RBAs. These lists, which only authorized RBA maintainers can send e-mails to, are rapidly supplanting the telephone-based “hotlines” of old. The BIRDCHAT discussion list is a nationwide forum for sharing about bird ID, finding birds, trip info, and connecting with birding guides and partners while you’re traveling.
And then there’s my personal favorite birding website anywhere in cyberspace -- The Virtual Birder. Here you can test your birding skills on a virtual birding tour. Or take a “birding break” and enjoy virtual birding when you’re stuck at your desk at work. Check this stuff out! The Virtual Birder also has a comprehensive list of Rare Bird Alerts, links to bird e-mail archives, and more.
And that concludes our virtual birding outing! I hope you found this quick orientation worthwhile. I encourage you to take another virtual birding trip soon. Like so many of your fellow birders, you’re likely to find the Internet to be a fun and extremely useful tool to enhance your appreciation of birds, birding, and the outdoors.
Peace and good birding,
Scott Cronenweth
www.naturalpathwalks.com
