Bird resources on the Web

Birding sites on the Web offer everything from basic information to bird quizzes.

Although we suggest you begin at your birding adventure by chatting with the folks at your local birding specialty shop — the people who know and love the local birding scene — you can also find a lot of fascinating information online.

Basic Information

• Birds in Georgia: www.georgiabirds.com

• Name that bird: www.namethatbird.com

• Birdfeeder tips: www.birdfeedertips.com

• Bird songs: www.feathertalk.com. Although Feathertalk.com is a commercial site, you don’t have to buy a ringtone. Its design makes it easy to find the birds whose songs you’d like to identify.

• Cornell Lab of Ornithology: www.birds.cornell.edu. Food preferences: tinyurl.com/5vlst4. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology – a membership organization – provides one of the most extensive sites for information on birds and birding.

• Fernbank Science Center’s Common Birds of Atlanta: fsc.fernbank.edu/Birding/common_birds.htm. Fernbank’s Web site is a great resource for photos and songs of birds found in the metro area.

• Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division: tinyurl.com/5j87vg. The DNR’s Wildlife Resources Division website has a comprehensive links list.

Local groups, birding organizations

• Atlanta Audubon Society: www.atlantaaudubon.org. The AAS September Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary Tour is a great way to learn more about backyard birding in Atlanta. It’s just one example of the group’s commitment to promote the enjoyment and understanding of birds and to conserve and restore the ecosystems that support them. Birding sites in Atlanta, courtesy of the AAS: tinyurl.com/63ecul

• The Georgia Ornithological Society: www.gos.org. The mission of this organization is to encourage the scientific study of birds by gathering and disseminating information on Georgia bird life. Georgia Ornithological Society’s Birding Resources page: www.gos.org/links.html

• Georgia Hummer Study Group: www.gahummer.org. Great information on hummingbirds including what to plant to attract them and photos of the kinds of hummers you see in Georgia:

• Hawk Talk, Inc.: www.hawktalk.org. Based in Atlanta, this organization goes to schools, civic associations, youth groups, nature centers, corporate organizations and others to educate about birds of prey in the Southeast… using live birds. Its website has information on both hawks and owls, and even a links to information about what to do if you find a baby bird.

• Wings Over Georgia: www.wingsoverga.com. From a library of online resources for birding in Georgia and beyond to guided birding trips for small groups in diverse habitats of Georgia, this group – and its website – provides a wealth of information.

• Georgia Nature Conservancy: tinyurl.com/6bc2ov. Now’s the time to enter the 2008 Photo Competition of this group, which is dedicated to preserving habitats.

• The Owl Pages: www.owlpages.com. A good site for information on everything owl.

• American Birding Association Code of Birding Ethics: www.americanbirding.org. The American Birding Association represents a range of birding interests, from identification and education to listing and conservation. Among other things, this document provides guidelines on how to enjoy your hobby while maintaining the environment, health and safety of the birds.

Just for fun

So you’ve surfed the web, joined a couple of bird groups and are feeling confident. Check out these quizzes:

• The Bird Brain Challenge: tinyurl.com/68r6fo. Also on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, this quiz lets you choose eastern or western birds, gives you audio and video options and clues. At least we got “goldfinch” right.

• Roger Tory Peterson’s Fun Bird Facts Quiz: tinyurl.com/6myyg8

For young birders

• Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Youth Birders Competition: tinyurl.com/6lud4c. We’ve missed this year’s window, but add this Web site to your Favorites list: the Wildlife Resources Division sponsors an annual Youth Birding competition. Early registration is usually in March, so check back next Spring.

10 reasons to be a Young Birder
tinyurl.com/56gtff. On the Young Birders section of the Birdwatcher’s Digest site, this list was written by young birders.

• NPR story “How Birds Can Capture a Kid’s Imagination” tinyurl.com/6g94fq. NPR’s Melissa Block and her 6-year-old daughter, Chloe, go birding with Bill Thompson III, author of “The Young Birder’s Guide to Birds of Eastern North America.”