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A birder is a person who observes or identifies wild birds in their natural environment. I became a birder on November 5, 2005. I know the exact date because I keep track of the different species I see (see the list below). I became a birder because I read an article in the New Yorker Magazine about birding that fascinated me, and we already owned the Audubon Society field guide.

Birds are a popular class of animals to learn about because they come in many sizes, shapes and colors which make them fun to see. Birds make some of the most intricate, complex noises in the universe which make them fun to hear. Go to the following link if you want to hear bird calls (you have to select a bird from the alphabetical list to get to a page that has that bird's song).

Birds

Birding has enabled me to become more aware of the environment. Now that I’m a birder, when I see something move in my peripheral vision I focus in on it to see if it’s a bird, and if it is, I try to identify what species of bird it is because it might be a bird that isn’t on my list. I can now identify the songs of several birds. Now, when I hear a bird, if it’s not a bird call that is familiar to me, I’ll try to spot the bird to see if it’s a species that’s not on my list. Through birding I have trained myself to stop and pay attention to sights and noises that throughout my life I had been ignoring. Traveling has also been enhanced for me because different places often have different species of birds.

There is a difference between bird sightings and bird events. A few of my favorite bird events include: seeing an osprey dive talons first into the ocean, catch a fish, and then fly close by me clutching the fish; seeing a bald eagle go into the water at the Woodclifflake reservoir; and noticing that there were a large group of grackles in the backyard of my parent's home in New Jersey in February 2007 which turned out to be part of a flock of about 300 grackles that were all over our yard and the neighbors' yards, when I called everyone to the window to see the spectacle, the birds got spooked and they all started flying at the same time.

North American Birds - Eastern Region

Alder Flycatcher, Pound Ridge, NY, 3/26/20
American Goldfinch, Park Ridge, 9/17/06
American Kestrel, Butler Preserve, 9/11/20
American Redstart, Whisper Bench, Central Park, 5/25/14
American Robin, Independence Ave., 4/1/06
Anhinga, Fairchild Tropical Garden, Miami, 4/24/08
Bald Eagle, Woodclifflake Reservoir, 1/21/07
Barn Swallow, Simsbury, CT, 5/21/06
Barred Owl, North Stamford, CT, 6/16/22
Belted Kingfisher, Birch Island, NH, 8/30/06
Black Capped Chicadee, Lake Hopatcong, NJ, 7/23/06
Black Crowned Night Heron, Indian Pond, 7/4/06
Black Duck, Meadowlands Environment Center, 11/25/06
Black Guillemot, Acadia National Park, 7/5/12
Black Vulture, Everglades, 4/25/08
Black-Billed Magpie, Banff, Canada, 3/4/07
Blue Headed Vireo, Pittsfield, VT, 5/3/15
Blue Jay, Independence Ave., 4/8/06
Boat Tailed Grackle, Everglades, 4/25/08
Boreal Chicadee, King Ravine, NH, 10/2/21
Brant, Sherwood Island, CT, 11/12/16
Broad Winged Hawk, Smith Camp, Birch Island, NH, 8/27/09
Brown Pelican, Miami Beach, 4/23/08
Brown-Headed Cowbird, Park Ridge, 6/9/07
Bufflehead, Dowes Beach, Cape Cod, 3/30/19
Canada Goose, Inwood Hill Park, 3/11/06
Canvasback, Spuyten Duyvil, 1/22/09
Cardinal, 237th Street, 4/8/06
Carolina Wren, Park Street, New Canaan, 2/6/10
Cedar Waxwing, Blueberry Island, NH, 8/26/08
Chipping Sparrow, Pound Ridge, NY, 5/29/20
Common Crow, Hudson Towers Terrace, 4/8/06
Common Eider, Montauk, 10/3/10
Common Grackle, Independence Ave., 3/26/06
Common Loon, Birch Island, NH, 8/25/06
Common Merganser, Birch Island, NH, 9/1/06
Common Myna, Café Versailles, Miami, 4/21/11
Common Raven, Banff, Canada, 3/3/07
Common Redpoll, Park Street, New Canaan, 5/21/16
Common Tern, Nantucket, 7/30/06
Common Yellowthroat Warbler, Bryant Park, 10/11/12
Double-Crested Cormorant, Inwood Hill Park, 4/29/06
Downy Woodpecker, Independence Ave., 3/29/06
Eastern Bluebird, Sagamore Hill, Long Island, 5/16/09
Eastern Kingbird, Birch Island, NH, 8/27/08
Eastern Phoebe, New York Botanical Garden, 10/20/07
Eastern Towhee, Fire Island, 7/18/17
Eastern Wood-PeWee, Tennis Court, Birch Island, NH, 8/27/09
Fish Crow, Park Mead, 5/3/20
Golden-Crowned Kinglet, New York Botanical Garden, 10/20/07
Gray Catbird, Spuyten Duyvil, 6/21/07
Gray Jay, Banff, Canada, 3/4/07
Great Black Backed Gull, Robert Moses State Park, 7/3/06
Great Blue Heron, Everglades, 4/25/08
Great Egret, Inwood Hill Park, 4/22/06
Green Heron, Everglades, 4/25/08
Hairy Woodpecker, Park Ridge, 6/9/07
Hermit Thrush, Mianus River Park, 5/16/10
Herring Gull, Riverdale, 11/27/05
Hooded Merganser, Woodclifflake Reservoir, 1/21/07
House Finch, Lake Hopatcong, NJ, 6/18/06
House Sparrow, Inwood Hill Park, 4/22/06
House Wren, Lenoir Preserve, 6/30/07
Junco (Dark Eyed), Riverdale, 1/24/07
Kill Deer, New Canaan Train Station, 5/12/11
Laughing Gull, Monmouth Beach, 8/5/06
Lesser Scaup, Mead Memorial Park, 3/13/21
Lesser Yellowlegs, Weed Ave., Stamford, CT, 8/11/23
Little Blue Heron, Everglades, 4/25/08
Louisiana Heron, Everglades, 4/25/08
Mallard Duck, Inwood Hill Park, 3/11/06
Mockingbird, Inwood Hill Park, 4/1/06
Monk Parakeet, 79th Street Boat Basin, 6/25/06
Mourning Dove, Henry Hudson Park, 6/11/06
Mute Swan, Van Cortlandt Park, 8/20/06
Nashville Warbler, Lee Garden, 4/23/22
Northern (Baltimore) Oriole, Lenoir Preserve, 6/30/07
Northern Flicker, Freemont Ave., Park Ridge, 5/26/12
Osprey, Nantucket, 7/30/06
Ovenbird, Bryant Park, 10/15/12
Palm Warbler, Irwin Park, New Canaan, 10/10/22
Peregrine Falcon, Highgate Cliffs, Summer 2021
Pileated Woodpecker, Park Mead, 5/28/14
Pintail, Meadowlands Environment Center, 11/25/06
Purple Martin, Oenoke Ridge Road, New Canaan, 4/12/20
Red Breasted Nuthatch, Lake Colden, NY, 9/16/07
Red Eyed Vireo, Zofnass, NY, 5/22/20
Red Shouldered Hawk, Katonah, 7/22/18
Red Tailed Hawk, Stuyvesant Town, 1/27/07
Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Park Ridge, 10/8/06
Red-Winged Blackbird, Simsbury, CT, 5/21/06
Ring Necked Duck, Mill Pond, New Canaan, 2/22/22
Ring-Billed Gull, Birch Island, NH, 9/2/06
Ringed Turtle Dove, Salamanca Ave., Miami, 4/24/08
Rock Dove, Washington Square Park, 11/5/05
Royal Tern, Breezy Point, Queens, 6/12/16
Ruby Crowned Kinglet, Wave Hill, 4/14/12
Ruby Throated Hummingbird, Birch Island, NH, 8/31/06
Ruddy Duck, Meadowlands Environment Center, 11/25/06
Ruffed Grouse, Upper Michigan Road, VT, 2/5/11
Sanderling, Island Beach State Park, 8/1/07
Scarlet Tanager, Jamaica State Park, VT, 7/11/10
Semipalmated Plover, Weed Ave., Stamford, CT, 8/11/23
Semipalmated Sandpiper, Bayhead, NJ, 9/4/17
Sharp-Shinned Hawk, Gamble Field, New Canaan, 4/19/16
Short-billed Dowitcher, Weed Ave., Stamford, CT, 8/11/23
Snow Bunting, Galehead Loop Road, NH, 10/29/20
Solitary Sandpiper, Lake Colden, NY, 9/16/07
Song Sparrow, Park Mead, 5/10/20
Spruce Grouse, Mount Isolation, NH, 9/26/15
Starling, Frying Pan, 4/1/06
Swift, Lily Street, Nantucket, 7/16/13
Tree Swallow, Waveny, 6/11/12
Tufted Titmouse, Park Ridge, 11/29/06
Turkey, Lenoir Preserve, 6/30/07
Turkey Vulture, Livingston-Higley New Canaan Land Trust, 10/12/22
White Breasted Nuthatch, Park Ridge, 9/17/06
White Ibis, Miami Beach, 4/23/08
White Throated Sparrow, Park Ridge, 1/6/07
White-winged Crossbill, Mount Redington, ME, 10/19/23
Willet, Chappaquidick, MA, 7/14/16
Winter Wren, Bryant Park, 10/26/12
Wood Duck, Bennett's Pond, CT, 10/23/10
Wood Thrush, Pound Ridge, NY, 5/15/20
Yellow Bellied Sapsucker, Cornell Ornithology, Ithaca, 6/24/11
Yellow Crowned Night Heron, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, 6/12/16
Yellow Rumped Warbler, Birch Island, NH, 8/29/06
Yellow Warbler, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, 6/12/16

North American Birds - Western Region
American Dipper, Zion, Virgin Narrows, 6/20/14
Anna's Hummingbird, Summer 2014
Black Chinned Hummingbird, Zion, 6/19/14
Black Headed Grosbeak, Zion Lodge, 6/20/14
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Arches, 6/15/14
Brewer's Blackbird, Las Vegas, NV, 3/27/24
Bridled Titmouse, Summer 2014
Chipping Sparrow, Zion Lodge, 6/20/14
Clark's Nutcracker, Bryce Canyon, 6/19/14
Gray Headed Junco, Bryce Canyon, 6/18/14
Hermit Thrush, Kaibab Trail, Grand Canyon, 6/22/14
Inca Dove, Plaza Jose Maria Morelos in Mexico City, 12/21/22
Lesser Goldfinch, Zion Canyon Lodge, 6/21/14
Mexican Spotted Owl, Zion, Angel's Landing, 6/19/14
Pinyon Jay, Canyonlands, Altec Butte, 6/16/14
Plain Titmouse, Summer 2014
Plumbeous Vireo, Emerald Pools, 6/20/14
Steller's Jay, Bryce Canyon, 6/17/14
Vermilion Flycatcher, on the car antenna, Zion Canyon Lodge, 6/21/14
Violet-Green Swallow, Bryce Canyon, 6/19/14
Western Bluebird, Bryce Canyon, 6/17/14
Western Kingbird, Canyon de Chelly, 6/24/14
White Throated Swift, Arches, 6/15/14
Yellow Rumped "Audubon's" Warbler, Grand Canyon Campsite, 6/22/14