Tips for Birdwatching this Spring.

From Francois Vuilleumier, editor-in-chief of Birds of North America

“Early spring birding is one of the great pleasures in life! And it doesn't matter whether you are an expert or a beginner, or where you live. From mid-April to the end of May, resident birds come out of their winter hideouts and migrants from the tropics are on their way to northern breeding quarters. So, forget your everyday worries, put on a pair of walking shoes, tuck a field guide, notebook and pencil in your jacket pocket, but don't forget your binoculars! And, best of all, you don't have to go far from your home.

You live in the Northwest? Look up above gardens or parks and watch for the first Barn Swallows' graceful flight. Note their long tail streamers and their rusty-red throat. Some of them may have spent the winter in Argentina! In groves of conifers, search for Steller's Jays, with their black crest and dark blue plumage. They usually announce their presence with harsh calls. A melodious, whistle-and-trill song coming from the undergrowth? This has to be a White-crowned Sparrow, with its striking black and white head markings. Ah, and what was that chunky bird with a thick bill, black head, and orange-red underparts? Surely a Black-headed Grosbeak. Be sure to distinguish its song from that of the American Robin!

Speaking of songs, spring in the Northeast is the time for them. Cardinals have been around your feeders all winter long, but now their fluty, melancholy and repeated whistles signal their presence. And the humble-looking, streaked and shy Song Sparrows deserve their name again, with their familiar, hesitant and stuttering trills. Once you've heard it, you won't forget the Tufted Titmouse's loud and well-pronounced peter-peter-peter. A discreet peck on a tree, and then a burry call: a Red-bellied Woodpecker. It's not red-bellied, though, but it does have a beautiful red crown. But what about this thin and buzzy song coming from the crown of a pin-oak in your neighbor's garden? You have to crane your neck up, and then look and look, and eventually you'll see a small and delicate-looking bird, with a slate-blue head, two wing bars, and a lovely orange wash on its breat: a Northern Parula! It has freshly arrived from the tropics, and this means that spring has indeed arrived.

Spring in the Southwest is the time for rediscovery of birds that have been there—more or less—all winter long, but remained discreet. Look for the tiny Lucy's Warbler feeding on minute insects in blossoming mesquite groves: pale gray overall but with a bright chestnut rump; and a vigorous singer, too. A sound of leaf-litter being tossed coming from the underbrush? A glimpse of a brownish bird with a long decurved beak and a yellow eye and a decided call, tweet-tweet? This must be a Curve-billed Thrasher. And what about this small woodpecker, barred black-and-white and with a red cap, flying from one cactus to another? The well-named Ladder-backed Woodpecker. A large and round nest in a desert shrub gives away the presence of the small and delicate-looking Verdin, which actually has a yellow (not green) head. Are you more of a night- than daytime birdwatcher? Then wait until dark for the Western Screech-Owl to start making its ululating trills. Sometimes they live closer to your home than you think.

Southeast spring? Birdwise this meanshot and fragrant pine woods, with the repetitious and insistent trills of Pine Warblers. It's not easily seen, though, but once discovered it can be followed as it hops along among the clumps of pine needles, singing and feeding. An all-red bird just flew through the pines and oaks? This has to be a male Summer Tanager, returning home to breed after wintering in the tropics. Watch for the chestnut-and-black Orchard Oriole in suburban gardens. When flying from tree to tree, it calls a loud tchuck! Circling overhead in a thermal, you notice a hawk. Watch it carefully. Does it have reddish underwing coverts? Then it is probably a Red-shouldered Hawk. But if it has three well-marked dark bands on its tail, you may be seeing a Broad-winged Hawk, recently returned from its South American wintering grounds. Everywhere, be on the look-out for the red, black, and white Red-headed Woodpecker. Search for it not only on tree trunks but also on the ground, as it forages there for insects.”

Tell us about the birds you and your children love to watch. Gather will draw one person who comments below to receive a copy of Birds of North America. Comments must be posted by Thursday, April 23^rd.