How Do I
Bird Watching
See also: Wildlife and Gardens for Wildlife
Selected Books
Alderfer, Jonathan K.
National Geographic Birding Essentials: All the tools, techniques, and tips you need to begin and become a better birder
QL677.5.A395 2007
National Geographic Birding Essentials: All the tools, techniques, and tips you need to begin and become a better birder
QL677.5.A395 2007
Birds of North America. Eastern Region
QL681.B62653 2011x
American Museum of Natural History's new paperback edition (408 pages), now in two volumes (eastern and western).
QL681.B62653 2011x
American Museum of Natural History's new paperback edition (408 pages), now in two volumes (eastern and western).
Dooley, Sean
The Big Twitch: One man, one continent, a race against time : a true story about birdwatching
QL677.5.D66 2005
In 2002, Dooley set out to break the record for the most birds spotted throughout the Australian territories in a single year. The effort to track down more than 700 species takes him from a sooty owl sitting on a tree branch in the early hours of New Year's Day to a blue-faced parrot finch climbing a blade of grass on Christmas Eve.
The Big Twitch: One man, one continent, a race against time : a true story about birdwatching
QL677.5.D66 2005
In 2002, Dooley set out to break the record for the most birds spotted throughout the Australian territories in a single year. The effort to track down more than 700 species takes him from a sooty owl sitting on a tree branch in the early hours of New Year's Day to a blue-faced parrot finch climbing a blade of grass on Christmas Eve.
Floyd, Ted
Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North America
QL681.F56 2008
This Smithsonian field guide, written by Birding magazine editor Floyd, is ideal for beginners, but also has formidable resources for experienced birders. Includes a DVD with birdsongs for 138 major species.
Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North America
QL681.F56 2008
This Smithsonian field guide, written by Birding magazine editor Floyd, is ideal for beginners, but also has formidable resources for experienced birders. Includes a DVD with birdsongs for 138 major species.
Ford, Paula
Birder's Guide to Pennsylvania
QL684.P4 F67 1995
This book takes the reader to almost 200 parks, refuges, and hot spots for migratory and resident birds throughout Pennsylvania. Details on 7 geographical regions include 34 maps make this the most comprehensive statewide guide available to Pennsylvania birding sites.
Birder's Guide to Pennsylvania
QL684.P4 F67 1995
This book takes the reader to almost 200 parks, refuges, and hot spots for migratory and resident birds throughout Pennsylvania. Details on 7 geographical regions include 34 maps make this the most comprehensive statewide guide available to Pennsylvania birding sites.
Identify Yourself: The 50 Most Common Birding Identification Challenges
QL681.I35 2005
Designed for birders at all levels by Bill Thompson, the editor of Bird Watcher's Digest and the author of Bird Watching for Dummies, this guide offers detailed descriptions of North American birds that look very similar to each other with advice on how to tell them apart.
QL681.I35 2005
Designed for birders at all levels by Bill Thompson, the editor of Bird Watcher's Digest and the author of Bird Watching for Dummies, this guide offers detailed descriptions of North American birds that look very similar to each other with advice on how to tell them apart.
Kaufman, Kenn
City Birding: True tales of birds and birdwatching in unexpected places
QL677.5.C548 2003
Over a dozen first-rank birding writers and ornithologists, including Paul A. Johnsgard and James Gorman, contribute a quirky piece of material each to build this prose nest. They take a sidelong view of themselves as well as their subjects in the "unexpected places," which are mostly urban-many in the New York City area.
City Birding: True tales of birds and birdwatching in unexpected places
QL677.5.C548 2003
Over a dozen first-rank birding writers and ornithologists, including Paul A. Johnsgard and James Gorman, contribute a quirky piece of material each to build this prose nest. They take a sidelong view of themselves as well as their subjects in the "unexpected places," which are mostly urban-many in the New York City area.
Peterson, Roger Tory
A Field Guide to Feeder Birds, Eastern and Central North America
q QL681.P45 2000
This easy-to-use, at-a-glance guide simplifies identification by including only the birds that frequent feeders with the most commonly seen birds first, followed by those that are harder to identify or that rarely visit feeders.
A Field Guide to Feeder Birds, Eastern and Central North America
q QL681.P45 2000
This easy-to-use, at-a-glance guide simplifies identification by including only the birds that frequent feeders with the most commonly seen birds first, followed by those that are harder to identify or that rarely visit feeders.
Tekiela, Stan
Birds of Pennsylvania: Field Guide
QL684.P4 T45 2000x
A small handy book to take on hikes
Birds of Pennsylvania: Field Guide
QL684.P4 T45 2000x
A small handy book to take on hikes
Return to the topVideos
Adventures in Birdwatching
(DVD) QL676.A2484 2004x
Ornithologist and bird enthusiast Ken Dial travels to locations in the United States and Costa Rica to observe a variety of bird species. Originally produced as episodes of the television series: All Bird TV in 1997-1998.
(DVD) QL676.A2484 2004x
Ornithologist and bird enthusiast Ken Dial travels to locations in the United States and Costa Rica to observe a variety of bird species. Originally produced as episodes of the television series: All Bird TV in 1997-1998.
Audubon Videoguide to 505 Birds of North America
(DVD) QL681.A9865 2004x
Two DVDs describe each of 505 species that reliably breed in North America north of Mexico. Provides a voice or sound from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology for each species that makes a sound of any consequence. The bird calls are combined with close-up moving footage and still photographs showing the birds in their natural habitats. Narrated descriptions provide detailed identification information and computer-drawn maps of breeding and wintering ranges.
(DVD) QL681.A9865 2004x
Two DVDs describe each of 505 species that reliably breed in North America north of Mexico. Provides a voice or sound from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology for each species that makes a sound of any consequence. The bird calls are combined with close-up moving footage and still photographs showing the birds in their natural habitats. Narrated descriptions provide detailed identification information and computer-drawn maps of breeding and wintering ranges.
The Backyard Bird Watcher: Creating a Wild Bird Sanctuary
George Harrison shows you step-by-step how to create a wild bird sanctuary that will attract the maximum number of birds to your backyard throughout the year.
George Harrison shows you step-by-step how to create a wild bird sanctuary that will attract the maximum number of birds to your backyard throughout the year.
The Life of Birds
In this 3-DVD collection, originally released in 1998 as a television series of ten episodes, David Attenborough journeys across seven continents filming thousands of species of birds, revealing their patterns of behavior. Also available as a book.
In this 3-DVD collection, originally released in 1998 as a television series of ten episodes, David Attenborough journeys across seven continents filming thousands of species of birds, revealing their patterns of behavior. Also available as a book.
Pittsburgh Resources
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Allegheny Front: Researchers Want to Know What Makes Golden-Wing Habitat Work
Each spring, Golden-winged warblers fly from Central and South America to the Eastern United States to mate and nest. But over the past 30 years, fewer and fewer of these little songbirds have been found in their traditional breeding range. -
Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania
One of the premier, non-profit, environmental education organizations in western Pennsylvania.-
Bulletin
You can view their monthly bulletin online in PDF Format.
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Bulletin
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Audubon's Birds of America
The University of Pittsburgh has mounted the engravings John James Audubon’s Birds of America on its Digital Library website. -
National Aviary
When the weather is bad, you can visit the aviary. Here's a list of their birds. -
Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas
a joint project of Carnegie Museum of Natural History and The Pennsylvania Game Commission -
Powdermill Avian Research Center
Powdermill Nature Reserve, the biological research station of Carnegie Museum of Natural History, is home to the one of the longest continually running bird banding stations in the United States. -
Rare Bird Alerts for Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania
Sponsored by the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania -
Three Rivers Birding Club
The Three Rivers Birding Club was formed in July of 2001. Today, there are 152 members who are dedicated and appreciate birds and the natural world of Southwestern Pennsylvania. -
Todd Bird Club
Birding in Indiana, Armstrong, and Cambria Counties. -
Venango County Birds
provide birding information for those interested in watching, feeding, or just discussing birds in Venango County, Pennsylvania, and surrounding area. By Gary Edwards.
Pennsylvania
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Bluebird Society of Pennsylvania
an affiliate of the North American Bluebird Society. Learn about the eastern bluebird, hear its song, get plans for a bluebird house. -
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary
Located along the Appalachian Flyway in southeastern Pennsylvania, scenic Hawk Mountain Sanctuary offers visitors an outstanding experience in nature observation with its mountaintop vistas and thrilling migration of nearly 20,000 hawks, eagles and falcons. Hawk Mountain is a 2,380-acre nature preserve straddling the Kittatinny Ridge that was established in 1934 as the world's first refuge devoted to the protection of birds of prey. -
Pennsylvania Audubon Society
Includes their newsletter, events, a list of publications, etc. -
Pennsylvania Birding and Wildlife Guide
The online Pennsylvania Birding and Wildlife Guide is a compilation of three separate birding and wildlife guide books: the Western Pennsylvania Birding Trail Guide; the Susquehanna River Birding and Wildlife Trail; and the Eastern Pennsylvania Birding and Wildlife Guide. -
Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology
They eventually hope to create a state-wide guide to birding resources by county.
Nearby States
Since birds don't know about political boundaries, information from West Virginia and Ohio are usually applicable to Western Pennsylvania.
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Bird Songs
Songs and calls of some New York State birds. Many of thse are also common to Pennsylvania -
Common Birds of Ohio
A interactive guidebook from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. -
Ohio Ornithological Society
Although Ohio had many local bird clubs, the state one was only established in 2004. Their website includes information on birding sites in Ohio, a bibliography, their publications, lists of Ohio birding organizations. You can also subscribe to their email list. -
West Virginia University Extension Services: Wildlife
Publications on attracting wildlife to your garden.
United States and International
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Audubon Society
Audubon's mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity. -
BirdingOnThe.Net
A directory of online resources in birding -
BirdLife International
ife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources. BirdLife Partners operate in over one hundred countries and territories worldwide. -
BirdNet
BIRDNET provides information about ornithology, the scientific study of birds. The site is a service of the Ornithological Council, a public information organization involving ten North American professional ornithological societies. -
Bird Watching Magazine
Formerly Birder's World. -
Birds and Blooms
This is the website of the birds and gardening magazine. They have a list of the 50 most wanted birds with information, photo, and a recording of its song for each bird. -
BirdSource
a partnership between the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that tracks birds to define bird ranges, populations, migration pathways, and habitat needs.-
Great Backyard Bird Count
Help scientists by reporting birds at your feeder every February.
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Great Backyard Bird Count
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Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology
This is probably the premier bird laboratory in the United States. Includes an "All About Birds" section: "The Ultimate Resource for Birds and Birding on the Web" with information about feeding, attracting, and watching birds. -
eBird
A real-time, online checklist program, eBird has revolutionized the way that the birding community reports and accesses information about birds. Launched in 2002 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, eBird provides rich data sources for basic information on bird abundance and distribution at a variety of spatial and temporal scales. -
North American Bird Conservation Initiative: United States
NABCI is dedicated to promoting and advancing integrated bird conservation in North America. -
North American Bluebird Society
A non-profit conservation, education and research organization, that promotes the recovery of bluebirds and other native cavity-nesting bird species. -
Partners in Flight
Partners In Flight is a cooperative effort involving partnerships among federal, state and local government agencies, philanthropic foundations, professional organizations, conservation groups, industry, the academic community, and private individuals to conserve the bird population and its habitat in the Americas. -
State of the Birds
This report provides the nation's first assessment of the distribution of birds on public lands and the opportunities for public agencies in each habitat.
