Resources for Birders
Web Sites & Mobile Apps
Books
- The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. A multifaceted resource on birds and birding by one of the world's premier ornithological institutions.
- Merlin Bird ID. Brought to us by the Cornell Lab, a MUST HAVE app for free, instant identification of 400 North American birds.
- eBird. An on-line bird sighting management system that lets you record birds you see, keep track of your bird lists, explore dynamic maps and graphs,and share your sightings with other members of the eBird community.
- Birding on a Budget. A complete guide for kids and adults.
- Identifying Birds in Flight. Identifying birds in flight and other great resources.
- Beginner's Guide to Bird Watching. Choosing the right binoculars, Finding birds, Bird identification, and links to lots of other great resources.
- Getting Kids Interested in Bird Watching. All the resources and links for getting kids going, from binoculars to apps to bird feeders.
- From Trees to Fields: A Beginner's Guide to Bird Watching. A great summary page with about 20 links to other recommended sites.
- Flight, Flock and Feathers - Alice Cestari's web site covering bird habitats in the Metro West area including Plum Island.
- Massbird.org - Bird sightings and hotspots, birding clubs, places to visit and more.
- Massachusetts Audubon Birding. Mass Audubon is the oldest Audubon Society in the nation and provides a wealth of information on birds and birding.
- Making Birdhouses with Household Materials. - Creative uses of unused items.
- Build Your Own Birdhouse for your Birding Hobby - How to get started in birding, including links for plans for building a birdhouse
- Mike Danzenbaker's Bird Photography - Extensive exhibit of beautiful bird photographs
- Migration Productions - Find out when and where Shawn Carey's next multi-image slide show about birds and birders or bird photography workshop takes place.
- TripBuzz - The Ultimate Guide to Birdwatching. Provides links to a number of other birding sites and resources.
- Birder's Resources including Building a Birdhouse
- How to Identify the UK's 10 Most Common Birds - For the English, or those traveling there.
- Home Hobbies - Bird Watching- Good list of resources. (NEW - Thanks, Logan!)
Books
- A Field Guide to the Birds East of the Rockies by Roger Tory Peterson - Provides precise drawings that no photograph can do justice to, and the size is perfect for carrying in the field.
- National Geographic Guide to Birds of North America, 4th edition by the National Geographic Society - Excellent illustrations and it covers all of the United States.
- Sibley's Birding Basics. A short (150-page) introduction to bird physiology and behavior. A good resource to start learning about birds in general.
- Birds of Eastern North America (Helm Field Guides) by David Allen Sibley - A great field guide in a format small enough for easy use in the field. If you buy only one guide, this is a good one to choose.
- Sibley's Guide to Birds by David Allen Sibley - A excellent and complete reference but large for carrying into the field
- The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior by David Allen Sibley. Detailed articles on behavior of various bird genera and family groupings by David Sibley and other experts.
- Stokes Guide to Bird Behavior, Vol. 1,2,& 3 by Donald W. and Lillian Q. Stokes - Excellent text and illustrations.
- A Photographic Guide to North American Raptors by Brian Wheeler and Bill Clark - It has great photographs of hawks in different plumages which is very helpful
- Bird Observer: The New England Birding Journal - a bi-monthly journal.
- For a list of WCLT publications click here.
- For a list of other organizations working for conservation and sustainability click here.
- For a list of some books that address nature in the Wellesley, Charles River Watershed, and New England click here.