Over 1,000 different species of birds call the United States home. There are over 1.5 million hummingbirds alone across the country. That’s a huge amount of aviary wildlife for the avid bird spotter to keep an eye out for.
People who are just starting to take up bird watching may feel a bit confused in the beginning as they try to figure out what bird watching gear they need when they’re heading out on a birding trip.
Bird watching equipment comes in all different shapes and sizes and what you need depends on what birds you’re looking for and what areas of the country you’re heading out into. Stick with this handy article to learn all about gear for bird watchers.
1. Good Hiking Boots
While the first entry on this list is not exclusive to bird watching activities, good hiking boots are an absolutely essential bit of bird watching gear.
Birding requires you to be out in nature and on your feet for long periods of time. If you really want to spot some of the rarer birds, then you’re going to have to accept that you’ll be heading out into nature and reaching spots that lie at the end of hiking trails.
The wrong footwear can seriously ruin any birding adventure.
2. An Excellent Field Guide
Field guides are some of the best bird watching gear. If you’re not familiar with what they are, they’re essentially useful handbooks that can help you distinguish the various different species of birds.
They do more than just that, though. Say you’re looking to spot a specific type of bird, just open up the field guide and you’ll have a wealth of information about that bird at your fingertips. You’ll know where they live, when they feed, and the best time to spot them.
3. Bird Feeder (For Bird Watching at Home)
Bird watching doesn’t always require hours on the trail in the middle of the wilderness. You can bird-watch in your backyard if you have the right tools at your disposal.
Grab yourself a great bird feeder and watch the birds come straight to you. If you’re not sure where to start, check out the best finch bird feeders here.
4. Useful Bird Spotting Apps
It seems like everything has an app these days, and bird watching is no different. Apps are one of the handiest bits of equipment for bird watchers.
Most ornithological apps do a similar job to field guides, and when used in tandem, you’re setting yourself up for success. Some bird apps are even so incredible that you can let the app listen to a bird call and it will be able to identify the species!
Get the Right Bird Watching Gear for the Best Day Out
Bird watching gear is there to help you with your hobby and make sure you have the best time possible. Grab yourself the gear listed above and you’ll be able to get out into nature and make the most of your bird watching time.
Unsure about anything else? Stay right here on our website to check out the wide range of informative articles we have.
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