Every year more and more people are becoming attracted to bird watching or what one would call “birding.”  The National Audubon Society collects and records millions of bird sightings and behaviors every year.  One might wonder why one would be attracted to this kind of hobby.  Some have stated that doing this connects them closer to nature.  “Birding” can be done just about anywhere, even in the bigger cities where there is a park.  Central Park, New York can be a great experience—try it—and you will notice how in tune you become with these little creatures and their environment and all of the background noises of rumbling buses, searching helicopters, and impatient traffic will fade into the distance.   

“Birding” is actually very good for you according to BioScience, 2017.  It can improve your psychological, emotional, and physical well-being.  Bird watching is very educational as well.  It can introduce you to a vast variety of species where you can observe their colors, plumage patterns, and yes, even their personalities.  There are over 10,000 different species that range to tiny hummingbirds to bigger birds such as ostriches. 

Many paleontologists believe that birds are actually dinosaurs. Scientists have stated that birds are a direct ancestor of Theropods (small ones, not the T-Rex man-eaters we see on all the Jurassic Park films) and that their evolution started to occur during the Jurassic period, approximately 200 million years ago.  Some theropods had the same body features as birds such as feathers; they were lightweight and had winged bodies.  The smaller theropods eventually migrated into the trees in search of food and to shield themselves from predators. 

For more about the annual bird census, see the National Day Calendar article: CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT WEEK – December 14 – January 5 and Audubon’s Join the Christmas Bird Count.

“The bird is powered by its own life and by its own motivation.” -A.P.J. Abdul Kalam 

BOOKS 

• Owling: Enter the World of the Mysterious Birds of the Night by Mark Chester Wilson 
• Bird Watcher’s Bible: A Complete Treasury–Science, Know-how, Beauty, Lore by National Geographic 
• Out of the Woods: A Bird Watcher’s Year by Ora E. Anderson 
• Feathered Dinosaurs by Christopher Sloan 
• Birds of Ohio: Field Guide by Stan Tekiela 
• The Sibley Guide to Birds by David Sibley 
• The Bluebird Effect: Uncommon Bonds with Common Birds by Julie Zickefoose 
• Midwestern Birds: Backyard Guide by Bill Thompson 
• How to Attract Birds to Your Garden by Dan Rouse 
• Field Notes from an Unintentional Birder: A Memoir by Julia Zarankin 
• How to Know the Birds: The Art & Adventure of Birding by Ted Floyd 
• All About Backyard Birds: Eastern & Central North America 
• National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America
• Birds Art Life: A Year of Observation by Kyo Maclear 

EBOOKS from HOOPLA  

• The Hobby of Bird Watching by Sharon Murphy 
• A Beginner’s Guide to Finding, Identifying and Enjoying Birds by Pete Dunne 
• A Bird Watchers Note Book: Woodcock and Snipe by J. W. Seigne 
• A Bird Watcher’s Guide to Hummingbirds by Aife Arnim 
• A Bird Watcher’s Guide to Mockingbirds by Aife Arnim 
• Birdlike Dinosaurs: Small Theropods and Prehistoric Birds  by World Book 
• Flying Dinosaurs: How Fearsome Reptiles Became Birds  by John Pickrell 
• A Bird Watcher’s Guide to Orioles by Grace Elora 
• A Bird Watcher’s Guide to Wrens by Grace Elora 
• A Bird Watcher’s Guide to Mourning Doves by Aife Arnim  
• A Bird Watcher’s Guide to Woodpeckers by Grace Elora 
• Audubon Birding Adventures for Kids Activities and Ideas for Watching, Feeding, and Housing Our Feathered Friends by Elissa Wolfson & Margaret Barker 
• Northeastern Birds Backyard Guide * Watching * Feeding * Landscaping * Nurturing – New York, Rhode Island by Bill Thompson 
• Southern Birds Backyard Guide * Watching * Feeding * Landscaping * Nurturing – North Carolina, South Carolina by Bill Thompson 
• Mid-Atlantic Birds Backyard Guide * Watching * Feeding * Landscaping * Nurturing – Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland by Bill Thompson 
• Midwestern Birds Backyard Guide * Watching * Feeding * Landscaping * Nurturing – Indiana, Ohio, Iowa, Illinois by Bill Thompson 

AUDIOBOOKS from HOOPLA   

• Bird Watching: Everything You Need to Know to Find, Identify & Enjoy Birds in Your Backyard and Beyond for the Absolute Beginner by John R. Hess 

DVD 

• Dinosaur Planet 

YOUTUBE 

• LIVE Bird Feeder Cam in Ohio (over 30 species seen in 2021) 
• Live Birds In 4K! Cornell Lab FeederWatch Cam at Sapsucker Woods 
• Birdwatching for Beginners with Barbara Hannah Grufferman 
• Plenty to See Winter Birding in Northeast Ohio 
• Birdwatching: A nature lover’s pastime 
• Birding with Brad – Identifying Warblers of Ohio 
• 20 Best Birds to Watch for In Ohio 
• Common birds of Ohio 
• Common Midwest Birds – Midwest Nature 
• Birds are Living Dinosaurs/Dinosaurs are Stem Birds 
• Are Birds Modern-Day Dinosaurs? 
• Why Birds Are Dinosaurs 

WEBSITES 

• Dinosaurs shrank for 50 million years to become birds 
• Are Birds Dinosaurs? Looking into the Dino-Dominated Past 
• How small birds evolved from giant meat-eating dinosaurs 
• Caudipteryx Dinosaur