Bird watching, also known as birding, is an activity that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities. This guide is to help you find information pertaining to birds and bird watching in general, and in Central New York in particular.
The Atlas of Breeding Birds in
New York State Ed. by Robert F. Andrle and Janet R. Carroll. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1988.
(A species by species listing of the breeding territories of birds in NYS. Includes maps and breeding history
of each species.)
Audubon Society Encyclopedia of
North American Birds
by John K. Terres. New York: Wings Books: Distributed by Outlet Book Co., 1991.
(Alphabetical arrangement of ornithological terms, definitions, biographies of birds, and great ornithologists,
and articles about bird life and bird biology. Many illustrations and color photographs.)
Birds of New York State by
Robert E. Budliger and Gregory Kennedy. Auburn, WA: Lone Pine Publishing
International, 2005.
Detailed
accounts of the 320 species of birds that can be expected to appear in NYS on an annual basis. These accounts
include its identifying marks, size, status, habitat, nesting habits, feeding habits, voice, similar species,
best sites for viewing, and range maps.
Bull’s Birds of New York State
Ed. by Emanuel Levine. Ithaca, NY: Comstock Publishing Associates, 1998.
Describes various bird habitats and
the ornithological history of the 451 species listed on the official New York State checklist.
Enjoying Birds in Upstate New
York by Olin Sewall Pettingill, Jr. and Sally F. Hoyt. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University, 1968. An older, but
still very useful little handbook on finding, attracting and identifying birds in areas north of Orange and
Putnam Counties. Includes a section on Syracuse, and a calendar of when to expect the arrival of the various
species in Central New York.
Identify Yourself: The 50 Most
Common Birding Identification Challenges by Bill Thompson III. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin Co.
A guide to
help beginning and intermediate level bird watchers navigate each identification challenge with step by step
hints. Each confusing group contains clear descriptions and illustrations that show key field marks.
Music of the Birds
(book w/CD) Colorful book with information on some common North American birds and helpful descriptions of
their songs. The accompanying CD compliments the text well with the actual songs of the birds and pointers on
how to remember the songs.
Sibley’s Birding Basics by
David Sibley. NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 2002.
A comprehensive guide for beginning birdwatchers, with sections on
equipment, finding birds, identifying birds and more.
Bird Song Ear Training Guide
(1 cd) by John Feith. Madison, WI: John Feith, 2003. Songs of 189 species of birds found in the Midwest and
Northeast States. Each song is followed by a short description with a common mnemonic used to remember it.
Birding by Ear (3 cassettes,
1 booklet) by Richard K. Walton and Robert W. Lawson. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 1989. Bird songs and calls
grouped by acoustic similarity, with tips on exactly what to listen for to tell one bird from another.
A Field Guide to Bird Songs of
Eastern and Central North America (2 cassettes, 1 booklet) Peterson Field Guide Series (sound recording)
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1990. This set complements the Peterson Field Guide of the same area of the
country. It contains the songs and calls used in field identification of 250 species of birds.
Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs:
Eastern Region (3 cds, 1 booklet) by Lang Elliott. NY: Time Warner AudioBooks, 1997. Companion to Stokes
Field Guide of the same region. Contains songs and calls of 372 species of birds of the Eastern Region.
Audubon – official magazine of the National Audubon Society
Birder’s World – exploring birds in the field and backyard
Birds and Blooms – colorful publication with tips on attracting birds and creating beautiful gardens
For an index to more articles on birdwatching, see OCPL’s Online Databases. Here you can access magazine and journal articles, newspapers, and reference books 24 hours a day using your OCPL library card.
For in-library use of the online databases, please see a librarian.
Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology is a world-renowned authority on all things relating to birds. The “All About Birds” page is the “ultimate
resource for birds and birding on the Web.”
Birdsource is a partnership between citizens and
scientists. This is an interactive website designed and managed by the National Audubon Society and the
Cornell Lab of Ornithology to promote conservation and environmental learning. Participants contribute bird
watching data to scientific studies and thus “bird with a purpose” while birding for enjoyment.
The American Birding Association provides
leadership to birders by increasing their knowledge, skills, and enjoyment of birding. They are the only
organization in North America that specifically caters to recreational birders. This website provides many
links to birding programs, tours, information resources, and equipment to make your bird-watching experience
even more enjoyable.
Onondaga Audubon Society is Central New
York’s largest chapter of the National Audubon Society. On this site find the latest information on bird
activity in the area, a Central NY birding checklist, and information on free programs and field trips open
to the public.
“Bird Links to the World” is an excellent part of the “Bird Studies Canada” website. Here you can find an interactive map of the world
that you can click on to find further information about birds and birding in any part of the world. This site
has global links to: the best bird websites (the top 10 visited links); checklists; bird names and taxonomy;
worldwide organizations and information; and many, many links to other bird websites.
National Audubon Society
Annual Events: Great Backyard Bird Count in February; Christmas Bird Count in December (check website for dates)
Onondaga Audubon Society
Monthly program/meeting meets every
second Wednesday of the month (except July, August); Field trips - free and open to the public (check website)
Kestrel
Newsletter of the Onondaga Audubon Society.
Rare Bird Alert
Check the website of the Onondaga Audubon
Society for recent bird sightings.
Checklist
Checklist of the Birds Regularly Seen in Central
New York.
Find a printable version that you can take with you in the field, on the Onondaga Audubon website.
National Audubon Society
Their mission is to “conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds…” Its national network of
community-based nature centers and chapters engage millions of people of all ages and backgrounds in positive
conservation experiences.
American Ornithologists’ Union
The oldest and largest organization in the New World devoted to the scientific study of birds.
New York State Ornithological Association
Brings together bird clubs and individuals to help document the ornithology of New York State, by pooling
their efforts, skills and influence to carry out large statewide projects such as a state bird book and a
state breeding bird atlas.
Local Resources