Expert Bird Watching

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Chances are if you're a Zealandia member you are already a bit of a bird nerd - but do you want some tips to get even better at spotting them?

Check out this interview by our very own CE, Dr Danielle Shanhan who gave some tips about how to get into bird watching.

Her top tips:
🌿 Start in your backyard. Get to know the birds around you, including those which aren't natives. You might start to notice little social interactions between the birds or recognise them.
🌿 Plant native trees and shrubs to attract birds. Plants that flowers are great for attracting birds - native plants like harakeke, kōwhai and kakabeak will help bring them into your garden.
🌿 Take a good look at a bird you've found. Look for the shape, the size, shape of the bill and whether they have any patterns on their feathers. Also think about where you saw them, as birds have different habitats they live in.
🌿 Take a look online. Websites like iNaturalist and NZ Birds Online are great for information gathering (and iNaturalist also helps scientists as well!)
🌿 Listen for birds in the evening or dawn, this is when you'll get the richest birdsong. Bring along a friend who can point out which bird belongs to what song for quicker learning - or otherwise the above websites can help.
 
Danielle shares that this hobby is for you to enjoy however you like to interact with the world - so get outdoors this summer and get to know your birdy neighbours!

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