Start Birding With Our New Zine!

Picture of the cover of the Your quick Start Guide to Birding Zine. Shows an illustration of a woman looking at a bird through binoculars.

“Bird” is a verb!

Filled with fun and colorful illustrations by bestselling science writer, illustrator, and comic artist Rosemary Mosco, this new free zine breaks birding down into a few simple steps to help you get your birding practice off the ground…and soaring!

Ready to take your birding to new heights? Check out the birding resources below!

QUICK START BIRDING ZINE FREE DOWNLOAD

ORDER PRINTED COPIES OF THE QUICK START BIRDING ZINE

Illustration of a hummingbird flying with a heart above the head.

CREDITS: Beth Kelley Gillogly and Rosemary Mosco created this project. All illustrations on this page and in the zine by Rosemary Mosco. Thanks to Freya McGregor, Access Birding; and Audubon California. Project sponsor: FlockNature.com

Illustration of 3 birds looking cute including a finch, mourning dove, and titmouse

Illustration of a girl sitting in nature with birds in the background.

Try a sit spot.

Sit Spot: Observing a Special Place Over Time, Nature Journal Connection video series, John Muir Laws
Sit Spot Lesson, Teton Science Schools
How to Do a Bird Sit, Audubon California
Mindful Birding, Birdability

Invite your neighbor birds over.

Make your Backyard Bird Friendly, Audubon
Create a Bird-Friendly Habitat, National Wildlife Federation
Preventing Bird Window Collisions, American Bird Conservancy

Read a bird book.

What It’s Like to Be a Bird: From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing—What Birds Are Doing, and Why, by David Allen Sibley. A fun and approachable introduction to birds for bird lovers of all levels, with beautiful illustrations and fascinating details.
The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan. A New York Times bestselling book featuring the author’s drawings and stories about the birds in her backyard.
How to Look at a Bird: Open Your Eyes to the Joy of Watching and Knowing Birds, by Clare Walker Leslie. Bestselling author and illustrator invites beginning birdwatchers to hone their observational skills with this easy-to-use visual guide.
What’s the best book or field guide for bird identification?, Cornell Lab, All About Birds
Bird Books for Children, Brightly
More Bird Books for Children, BBC Wildlife
Ten of the Best Birding Podcasts, Audubon. Podcasts offer a great way to learn more about birds.
The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman. This New York Times bestseller offers a deep and riveting dive into the intelligence of birds.

Illustration of a sketchbook with notes and bird drawings in it.

Keep a bird journal or make a list of birds you see or hear.

Your Quick Start Guide to Nature Journaling, Wild Wonder Foundation
Nature Journaling Resources, Wild Wonder Foundation. A list of resources where you can learn more about nature journaling.
Take Note! Tips For Keeping a Field Notebook, Cornell Lab, All About Birds
A Birder’s Brain on Paper: How Nature Journaling Improves our Birding Experiences (scroll to page 3), by Fiona Gillogly, Birding Magazine, American Birding Association
How Nature Journaling Can Make You a Better Birder, by John Muir Laws, Audubon Magazine
Develop a Birding Routine, Cornell Lab, All About Birds

Illustration of binoculars and a smart phone.

Learn with birding apps and tools.

Merlin Bird ID, Cornell Lab. Identify birds using sound recordings, photos or a step-by-step questionnaire.
eBird, Cornell Lab. A citizen science project and database where birdwatchers can record and share their bird observations to contribute to global bird monitoring.
Flock, Flock Nature. A platform for birdwatching enthusiasts to connect, share sightings, and access birding resources.
Feather Atlas, U.S. Fish and Wildlife service. An image database dedicated to the identification and study of the flight feathers of North American birds.
Bird Guide Resource List, Cornell Lab
Guide to Choosing Binoculars, Cornell Lab