Birding Resources

Resources

​STATE RESOURCES
​​Birds and Conservation in Nevada & Regionally
​NATIONAL RESOURCES
​​Birding, Conservation, and Environmental Groups
PRODUCTS & TOOLS
​​Birding Help
  • Merlin Photo ID  (Cornell)
  • All About Birds  (Cornell)
  • E-Bird - Keep your check list on line.  Find out where a species might be, and what has been seen.  Excellent site.
  • Birding.aba.org is the new location for state, regional, international, and specialty birding listserves, plus butterflies and bugs.
  • McCaulay Library  (Cornell) Explorable archive of wildlife sounds and videos
  • All About Birds  Online guide to Birds and Bird Watching
  • Bird Songs and Sounds - Many, many bird songs and sounds. Excellent sound quality.
  • Birdzilla  Comprehensive selection of wild bird information, articles, on-line life list, and the Birdzilla.com mall.
  • WildBirds.com is the place to come for answers about wild birds in your yard and around the corner!
  • Fatbirder.com links up birding enthusiasts from all over the world. They believe it to be the most comprehensive web site of its kind worldwide.
  • Birding Pal Go birding with a pal from around the world.
  • Birding on the Net migrated to a new home at ABA.org.  Rare Bird alerts, Butterflies and Bugs, and birding list archives.  Individual mailing lists (regional/specialty) pages     
  • A Kid’s Guide to Bird-Watching in the Playground, recommended by a new Girl Scout birder.  Many nice links to resources.
  • The Young Birder's Backyard Guide, recommended by a Girl Scout Troop from California who wanted to do a good turn and let others know about this nice site.
  • Scavenger Hunt for Kids of All Ages: Print and fill in our featured SPOT IT! SCAVENGER HUNT. 

Frequently Asked Questions

I've found an injured bird. What should I do?

Nevada Rehabilitator

Evelyn Pickles runs a rehabilitation center in Dayton. She accepts all birds and mammals.

Injured birds can be dropped off at:
Comstock Printers in
3160 N Deer Run Rd Ste 7
Carson City, NV 89701
Monday – Friday 
7:30am - 6:00pm

If you have any questions prior to delivery, call and leave a message at 775-246-0470.

California Rehabilitator

Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care, South Lake Tahoe
Denise Upton – Animal Care Director
ALL bird groups and many difficult species including bear, beaver, otter, bobcat, and mergansers
530-577-2273

What kind of bird is this?
  • Post a picture on Birding Nevada Facebook page
  • If it's not a Nevada bird, post a picture on  What's This Bird Facebook page
Try to identify it using Merlin ID app 
  • Or, contact us. Please include a picture if you have one, a description of what the bird looks like and where you saw it (be as specific as possible)
What can I do to prevent birds from flying into windows?

​Birds and Windows ​​
​​ABC’s Collisions Program addresses the collision threat to birds through multiple strategies, including research to identify effective collision deterrents, education of architectural professionals through courses that qualify for continuing education credit, development and broad distribution of information resources, helping manufacturers create bird-friendly products, and actively promoting bird-friendly legislation.
WHERE SHOULD I GO BIRDING IN NEVADA?
​
  • Check out our detailed Area Birding Guide with 20 different locations, 7 of which are recognized by the National Audubon Society as a Nevada IBA.
​​WHERE SHOULD I GO BIRDING IN CALIFORNIA?
  • ​Check out California Audubon’s interactive map they created to find out more about their IBAs. On their interactive map, you can find links to maps, site descriptions, and other information related to California’s Important Bird Areas. 
WHEN SHOULD I PUT UP AND TAKE DOWN MY HUMMINGBIRD FEEDERS?
  • In the spring, late March to early April is when the first migrants may start to show up so you will want to have your feeders up before then. You know it is time to take them down in the fall when your feeder freezes or you have not seen a hummingbird for a couple of weeks. 
 IT IS WINTER AND I STILL HAVE A HUMMINGBIRD AT MY FEEDER, ARE MY FEEDERS PREVENTING THE HUMMINGBIRDS FROM MIGRATING?
In our area, we do have Anna’s Hummingbirds that regularly overwinter here, so if you have one sticking around, don’t worry, your feeder isn’t keeping them from migrating south. If you wish to continue feeding your winter resident, there are heated hummingbird feeders for sale or just remember to bring the feeders in at night to prevent the nectar from freezing. If you don't want to deal with frozen feeders in the cold weather, you can take them down, the hummingbird will find food elsewhere.

Read more about the Anna's Hummingbird, which has been expanding its range since the middle of the last century in response to more available feeders and nectar plants in suburban gardens here.​
​WHERE CAN I SHARE MY BIRD PHOTOS?
We would love to see your bird photos! Send them into us here for a chance of them getting featured on our website or newsletter.​
​ I FOUND An orphaned bird, WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH IT? ​
The spring and summer is orphan season. If you find an orphaned bird on the ground, it’s best to leave it alone.  Baby birds will often fledge (leave the nest) prior to their ability to fly.  This is common and their parents will still take care of them even if they are on the ground.  If the bird is in danger, you can move it to a safer place.

I found a baby bird, what shall I do? 
I WANT TO FEED THE GEESE
​Geese develop "angel wing," meaning they lose their ability to fly, when they're fed unnatural foods (bread, chips, etc.).

Feed the local birds these items instead:
  • Corn (canned, frozen or fresh)
  • Duck pellets
  • Lettuce, other greens (torn into small pieces)
  • Frozen peas (defrosted)
  • Oats (rolled or instant)
  • Seeds (including birdseed or other varieties)

​BIRD SAFETY & BIRDING ETHICS

  • Code of Birding Ethics
  • Reporting Sensitive Species
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ABA CODE OF BIRDING ETHICS
1. Promote the welfare of birds and their environment.
  • 1(a) Support the protection of important bird habitat.
  • 1(b) To avoid stressing birds or exposing them to danger, exercise restraint and caution during observation, photography, sound recording, or filming.
  • Limit the use of recordings and other methods of attracting birds, and never use such methods in heavily birded areas, or for attracting any species that is Threatened, Endangered, or of Special Concern, or is rare in your local area;
  • Keep well back from nests and nesting colonies, roosts, display areas, and important feeding sites. In such sensitive areas, if there is a need for extended observation, photography, filming, or recording, try to use a blind or hide, and take advantage of natural cover.
  • Use artificial light sparingly for filming or photography, especially for close-ups.
  • 1(c) Before advertising the presence of a rare bird, evaluate the potential for disturbance to the bird, its surroundings, and other people in the area, and proceed only if access can be controlled, disturbance minimized, and permission has been obtained from private land-owners. The sites of rare nesting birds should be divulged only to the proper conservation authorities.
  • 1(d) Stay on roads, trails, and paths where they exist; otherwise keep habitat disturbance to a minimum.

2. Respect the law, and the rights of others.
  • 2(a) Do not enter private property without the owner's explicit permission.
  • 2(b) Follow all laws, rules, and regulations governing use of roads and public areas, both at home and abroad.
  • 2(c) Practice common courtesy in contacts with other people. Your exemplary behavior will generate goodwill with birders and non-birders alike.

3. Ensure that feeders, nest structures, and other artificial bird environments are safe.
  • 3(a) Keep dispensers, water, and food clean, and free of decay or disease. It is important to feed birds continually during harsh weather.
  • 3(b) Maintain and clean nest structures regularly.
  • 3(c) If you are attracting birds to an area, ensure the birds are not exposed to predation from cats and other domestic animals, or dangers posed by artificial hazards.

​4. Group birding, whether organized or impromptu, requires special care.
Each individual in the group, in addition to the obligations spelled out in Items #1 and #2, has responsibilities as a Group Member.
  • 4(a) Respect the interests, rights, and skills of fellow birders, as well as people participating in other legitimate outdoor activities. Freely share your knowledge and experience, except where code 1(c) applies. Be especially helpful to beginning birders.
  • 4(b) If you witness unethical birding behavior, assess the situation, and intervene if you think it prudent. When interceding, inform the person(s) of the inappropriate action, and attempt, within reason, to have it stopped. If the behavior continues, document it, and notify appropriate individuals or organizations.
  • Group Leader Responsibilities [amateur and professional trips and tours].
  • 4(c) Be an exemplary ethical role model for the group. Teach through word and example.
  • 4(d) Keep groups to a size that limits impact on the environment, and does not interfere with others using the same area.
  • 4(e) Ensure everyone in the group knows of and practices this code.
  • 4(f) Learn and inform the group of any special circumstances applicable to the areas being visited (e.g. no tape recorders allowed).
  • 4(g) Acknowledge that professional tour companies bear a special responsibility to place the welfare of birds and the benefits of public knowledge ahead of the company's commercial interests. Ideally, leaders should keep track of tour sightings, document unusual occurrences, and submit records to appropriate organizations.

​Please Follow this Code and Distribute and Teach it to Others
E-BIRD GUIDELINES FOR REPORTING SENSITIVE SPECIES
We have posted this story again as a reminder of how to report sensitive species in eBird.

As birders, we all love to see owls--they are beautiful, fascinating, and generally hard to come by.  An encounter with an owl can be among the most memorable of birding experiences.  In many places, however, roosting owls are vulnerable to disturbance, particularly in areas where owls are scarce and people are abundant!  When owls are flushed from their secretive roosting spots they are frequently ‘mobbed’ by crows and jays, creating lots of commotion in the process, and drawing attention to species that rely on their cryptic plumage to help hide them from potential predators.  If mobbing occurs frequently, the owls may abandon the roosting site.  In the worst-case scenario, a larger predator like a Red-tailed Hawk or Great Horned Owl may be alerted to the presence of the smaller owls, and prey upon them. 

We use owls as an example of what might be considered a ‘sensitive species’, but these can change locally and regionally. So what steps should we take to avoid disturbing owls and sensitive species in general? And how does that relate to reporting these birds to eBird?

Be a conscientious birder
It’s up to each and every individual birder to ensure that they behave themselves in the field. The American Birding Association published a Birding Code of Ethics that should be followed by all birders (see below).  eBird fully supports these recommendations and we are pleased that the great majority of birders follow this code.  We encourage all birders to review these guidelines, and realize that they are established to help protect the birds we all love to watch!

Moreover, take it upon yourself to understand the conservation concerns in your area, and be aware that your actions could impact birds negatively.  Use bird conservation resources like local Audubon chapters and the American Bird Conservancy to learn more about the issues in your area.  Be smart, be aware, and always keep the bird’s best interests in mind.

How to report sensitive species to eBird
eBird has a series of output tools that display information about birds.  Our goal is to promote the exchange of information, and our tools are designed to help people share data.  With that in mind, one must consider whether it is appropriate to report specifics about birds that could be considered sensitive.  eBirders must take it upon themselves to understand the situation locally and to use their best judgment, as the status of a species may change from place to place.  For example, Long-eared Owls are particularly vulnerable to human disturbance in their day roosts across the Northeast, but in the West they can occupy more remote areas away from potential problems. 

Here are a few ways to help protect sensitive species when reporting to eBird:
  • Wait until the season is over and the sensitive species (e.g., owls) have left before reporting the birds to eBird. You can always go back and ‘edit’ your checklists later to include sensitive species after the birds have departed.
  • Do not provide explicit coordinates or directions to sensitive species. When using the mapping tool to plot your location, use the ‘general area’ instead of the exact grove of trees where the birds are. For instance, you may say that birds were seen at a state park, instead of listing the exact location within a state park.
  • Delay reporting observations for a week to keep these reports off the ‘eBird Notable Birds feed’. This way news of a rarity will not show up on everyone’s desktop and cause birders to come to your yard!
  • Finally, you can also hide observations in eBird after you have submitted a checklist. Go to manage my observations, click on the checklist you want to hide and scroll to the bottom. There is a link to hide the checklist.

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