Catch a Crayfish, Count the Stars: Become a Backyard Bird-Watcher

There are more than 10,000 species of birds on Earth, with over 2,000 that can be found in North America. What’s amazing is that every species of bird in the world evolved from meat-eating dinosaurs like the velociraptor. It makes sense when you look at pictures of birds like the cassowary, shoebill stork, or California condor. They kind of look like dinosaurs. But even sparrows that are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and weigh just a couple of ounces are the descendants of one of the most fearsome predators to ever roam the earth.

Based on fossil records from 150 million years ago, the Archaeopteryx is one of the earliest birdlike creatures. It was about the size of a crow, with sharp teeth like a dinosaur and feathers like a bird. However, it is unknown how Archaeopteryx used its feathers. Did it use them for flying, for gliding, or simply as insulation to keep warm? Maybe someday you’ll be part of a team of scientists who answers this question. We do know, however, that the first examples of modern birds were flying at least 60 million years ago. Since then, birds have become one of the most diverse types of wildlife on the planet.

The variety of birds that we have is crazy. We have giant birds like the ostrich, which can be taller than an NBA basketball player and can weigh nearly 300 pounds. We also have tiny birds such as the bee hummingbird, which is the size of your thumb and weighs less than a penny.

Depending on the species, a bird’s diet might consist of fruits and seeds, or it might prey on insects, fish, other birds, rodents, or even monkeys. Some birds, like vultures, eat only rotting animal carcasses. Ducks and geese that migrate to the best places to eat and raise their young may fly thousands of miles every year. Other birds, like ground-dwelling ruffed grouse, will live their entire lifetime on 10 acres of ground (a football field takes up a little more than 1 acre of space).

Birds like the woodcock have feathers with dull, muted colors that act as camouflage. Others, such as tanagers, blue jays, and cardinals, have wildly colored iridescent plumage. Bird calls are highly variable, too. From the high-pitched screech of a red-tailed hawk to the soft cooing of a mourning dove to the thunderous gobble of a male wild turkey, the range of noises birds make is astounding. And these amazing creatures are found on every continent in every possible environment. Birds live in blazing hot deserts, frozen Arctic tundra, jungle rainforests, and the open ocean. They’re also comfortable around farms, neighborhoods, parks, and skyscrapers.

In fact, whether you live in the country, the suburbs, or the middle of a large city, there are probably some birds in your backyard right now. And even if you live in an apartment or a condominium complex and don’t have a backyard, there are certainly some birds nearby. It probably won’t take you very long to spot one if you step outside. Go take a look and you’ll discover why bird-watching is one of the most popular outdoor activities in the world.

In the United States alone, as many as 45 million people of all ages and backgrounds consider themselves bird-watchers. Many of these folks take their hobby very seriously, traveling across the country and even the world in search of new birds. Some spend years hoping to catch a glimpse of a single rare species.

They might also participate in challenges to see how many different species they can record in a single 24-hour period. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology conducts Global Big Day bird-watching competitions every year. On May 14, 2022, teams of bird-watchers from around the world recorded a total of more than 7,600 different species. The winning team, from Colombia, spotted 1,538 bird species!

Of course, you don’t have to participate in competitions to be a bird-watcher. In fact, most birders don’t travel the globe or participate in competitions looking for rare, exotic species of birds. They’re more interested in the birds they might see while they’re camping, hiking, or fishing. Or, better yet, just hanging around at home.

Unlike with a lot of other hobbies, you don’t need a bunch of special gear or clothing to be a backyard bird-watcher. There are a few things you’ll find helpful, but again, they aren’t essential. Having a bird feeder or birdhouse in your backyard will help draw in avian visitors. Store-bought bags of bird food typically contain nuts and seeds that are eaten by a wide variety of birds. You can also put out sugar-water feeders for hummingbirds. Pieces of fruit and chunks of animal fat will get the attention of other species. Birds will also enjoy some clean water in a birdbath during periods of hot, dry weather. Birdhouses can be bought or built. Some house structures will appeal to several types of birds, while others are designed for a specific species.

Binoculars are a helpful piece of equipment. A small pair of 7- or 8-power binoculars will allow you to closely inspect birds. A notebook is handy for jotting down the species, number, and dates of your bird sightings. A bird guidebook, such as *The Sibley Guide to Birds *or the *National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, *is super helpful for identifying the birds that you see.

There are some excellent bird-watching phone apps, too. The Merlin Bird ID app tells you what birds you might see in your area. The app can also ask you simple questions to help you identify birds. The app analyzes pictures you take of birds, and can even listen to birdsongs in real time to determine what species is making them. Pretty cool!

Another great app is eBird. This app records your sighting in a worldwide scientific database that stores important information like how abundant different species of birds are, what kind of habitat they prefer, and what their migration patterns are. When you use the eBird app, you are engaging in what’s called citizen science. That means you’re a member of the general public who is working together with professional scientists to make discoveries about birds and their behavior.

You can also join hundreds of thousands of other bird-watchers in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Over a four-day period every February, participants are asked to log all of their sightings at birdcount.org or in the eBird app. Every bird counts, whether you spot a couple of English sparrows at your bird feeder, a flock of Canada geese flying high overhead, or a pheasant that runs across the road in front of your school bus. The results of this population survey are posted in real time, so you can keep track of what’s going on worldwide and in your local area.

The Great Backyard Bird Count is timed to take place in late winter, before many birds begin traveling to new areas on their annual spring migration. But the spring and fall are great times for bird-watching, too. That’s when billions of birds are migrating. They could be traveling to or from places as far away as the Canadian Arctic or the jungles of Central America. You just might get to see a bird you never expected to encounter in your area. Of course, it is always fun and fascinating to keep track of the regular visitors to your backyard. You might get to watch a nesting pair of birds raise their offspring from eggs to baby chicks. Or you may learn to recognize an individual bird by the way it looks or behaves.

The coolest thing about bird-watching, though, is that there’s always more to accomplish. It’d be nearly impossible for a single person to see all of the more than 10,000 bird species in this world. But there’s no reason you can’t try! Start looking now and keep a record of your discoveries. How many birds can you find, and how far will your quest take you?

Excerpted from CATCH A CRAYFISH, COUNT THE STARS: Fun Projects, Skills, and Adventures for Outdoor Kids. Copyright © 2025 by MeatEater, Inc. Excerpted by permission of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.