Practical Guides
These guides will help you with the practical side of birdwatching. They’re here to make birdwatching feel easier, without needing to know everything at once.
Start here
Birdwatching and mindfulness
A gentle introduction to noticing birds in everyday places.
Describe a bird
Learning how to notice shape, movement, colour and behaviour.
Identify birds by sight
Simple ways to start recognising birds without memorising everything.
Birdwatching ethics
How to watch birds with care, respect and awareness.
Binoculars and other tools
Choosing binoculars
What matters, what doesn’t and how to choose without stress.
Using binoculars
Practical tips to make them easier and more enjoyable to use.
Bird ID apps
Tools that help with identification while you’re learning.
Bird citizen science apps
Ways to record sightings and contribute, if and when you want to.
Ways people birdwatch
Birdwatching slang
A friendly guide to common birding terms you might hear.
Lifer list
How some birdwatchers keep track of species they’ve seen.
Local big year
One way people set personal birdwatching goals.
Where to visit
Where to go birdwatching in Australia
Find places to visit in each state and territory.
Where to go birdwatching in Japan
Explore locations in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Nara.
Podcast episodes
Weekend Birder episodes provide advice to help you become a better birdwatcher. I’ve filtered the podcast library so this type of episode is easy to find.
Something else?
Learn more about bird families, species and behaviour
→ Explore birds
Connect with others or join shared experiences
→ Find community