Tips to Make Your Birding Trip a Success

birdingFootball, hockey, basketball and baseball are some of the most-watched spectator sports in America, but you’d be surprised to know that birding is not far behind. Although rather unbelievable, birding attracts more spectators hoping to catch a glimpse of a rare bird than the amount of people watching football and hockey combined!

Due to its popularity, it’s not uncommon for people to be on the lookout for some helpful birding tips. To make things easier, we’ve prepared a list of things you and other bird lovers can do to experience success.

Follow the Birds

It might sound like common sense, but many birding enthusiasts make the mistake of spending most of their time looking for birds in poor locations. While some folks are lucky enough to simply look out their window to find several species of birds, others travel to locate them. To find the birds you are looking for, we recommend visiting a location such as our very own Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge.

Know Your Species

There are about 900 bird species in the U.S. alone, which could make recognizing all of them an uphill battle. The best thing you can do to identify the bird you’ve been looking for in a simpler manner is researching the location you expect to visit.

Zoom In

A good pair of binoculars is a bird enthusiast’s best friend. However, the last thing you want to do is arrive at your birding destination only to find that your binoculars are completely inadequate. It might be pricey, but getting a pair with features such as image stabilization, anti-fogging and low-light viewing could pay off in the long run.

Practice Makes Perfect

You may think spotting a bird with binoculars is as easy as pie, but you’d be surprised at the amount of people who struggle to find their target in a quick and efficient manner. You can practice your technique by placing your binoculars by your side and raising them quickly to spot an airplane. Do this repeatedly and you’ll be ready to spot the bird you’ve been looking for in no time.

Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge is Waiting!

Are you ready to find the one elusive bird you’ve been waiting for? The City of Alamo is here to help. Our very own Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge boasts thousands of acres of nature that is home to approximately 400 species of birds. Visit Alamo and take advantage of the many wonders our ‘jewel of the National Wildlife Refuge System’ has to offer. For more information about our birding activities, or if you have any questions about local incentives for your business, contact the Alamo Economic Development Corporation at 956.787.6622.

© 2024 Alamo Economic Development Corporation
Web Design by Boss Level Tech