Who Has Good Ears?: Birdwatching for Beginners

If you want to watch birds, you need good binoculars. Stefan Bachmann, biologist and media officer at Birdlife Switzerland, proposes medium- and large-size models. But some models are very heavy, so Bachmann says it’s important to seek advice from a specialist shop. “You should try whichever binocular you feel best in your hand.” Good quality is available for around 300 francs. There are two numbers to consider when making a purchase: The first indicates magnification. Bachmann recommends a value between 7 and 8. Models with greater magnification show a smaller cross section. “It’s harder to orient yourself with it.” The second number indicates the diameter of the lens in millimeters. The larger it is, the more light can enter and the brighter the image will be in poor conditions or at dusk. According to Bachmann, a good compromise between light intensity and weight is achieved with a lens diameter of 30 to 50 millimeters.

Ornithologists can search for and compare species in so-called detection books. The most comprehensive of these reference works is “The New Bird Guide to the Cosmos” by Lars Svensson and others. It houses 900 bird species from Europe, North Africa and the Near East. But it’s easier to identify with an app like “Vogelführer Birdlife Schweiz”. It has the feature of elimination process. For example, it asks for the size of the beak and then suggests three or four possible species. Or the hobby ornithologist records the sound of a bird with his smartphone and lets the app assign that sound. Watching birds does not necessarily mean seeing them. Hearing them is also a sense of accomplishment. Birds can also be identified with the help of photos through the app. But Bachmann says this is relatively difficult because you have to get close to the animals and have a very good camera.

For beginners, places designed for bird watchers are suitable. This includes, for example, the Birdlife nature center with two observation lodges in Neeracherried ZH. The terrace of Vogelwarte Sempach in the canton of Lucerne is also popular with ornithologists. Or the Klingnau reservoir: in autumn, at the dam Aare near Döttingen AG, migratory birds can be observed crossing Switzerland on their way back to the south or north. More top spots can be found here. Many conservation groups in the community offer basic courses for beginners that teach them to recognize a particular species base without having to look after them. The best known are species such as the blackbird, sparrow, great tit, blue tit, carrion crow, and magpie. But there are also common but largely unknown species, Bachmann says, including blackheads.

Bachmann says birding requires patience. “And you must sharpen your hearing.” Anyone who wants to learn bird songs can do so with the help of the bird-song.ch website. Ultimately, Bachmann says, you have to go out and “practice, practice, practice.” The best thing to do is to try to follow a bird until you see it sing. “If you have a picture, you can best memorize your voice.” Another requirement that an ornithologist must meet is to treat nature responsibly, Bachmann says. It is part of not getting too close to the nests and generally not disturbing the animals.