How to bird-watch: A traveller's guide

Because birding requires little gear, and can be done almost anywhere, it's a great activity for your next trip. Here's what you need to know

- ELAINE GLUSAC

According to a survey from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, 96 million Americans are bird-watchers, or 37% of the population aged 16 and above. Most observe from home, but 43 million have travelled a mile or more to go birding. Amy Tan, author of the book The Backyard Bird Chronicles, knows why.

"Birds are some of the most magical animals on earth," Tan said. "They fly, they sing crazy beautiful songs, they have amazing navigational systems that feel the magnetic force of the universe and guide themselves by the sun and the moon."

Because birding can be done almost anywhere and requires little gear, it's an easy activity to pick up and a practice suitable to many trips. Here's how to get started.

Hone your powers of observation
Bird-watching requires observing not just a bird's appearance but its behaviour. "Is it quick, slow, frenetic, soaring or staying in the underbrush?" said Nate Swick, author of The Beginner's Guide to Birding. "Those are clues as much as colours and patterns." Experts suggest starting in backyard or neighbourhood park and learning the local resident birds to refine birding skills before taking them on the road.

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