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If you’re a keen bird watcher, an incomparable holiday to try is a world tour, travelling to some of the world’s best bird watching locations.

Starting with the United States, many of the states have bird sanctuaries and aviaries where you can go, so if you’re a resident of the USA, you should have no problem at all finding somewhere for a spot of twitching. Everyone houses innumerable species of indigenous avian life, and assures a unique experience.

If you choose to go farther afield, here are a some of the more outstanding global sites you may wish to travel to:

South America – the jungles of South America are the natural habitat of thousands of exquisite birds. Bird watching hotspots in South America include the Itatiaia National Park in Brazil, which is home to approximately 350 different species of birds native to the Amazon. The Iguazu National Park is the foremost natural reserve in Argentina, with over 400 varieties of indigenous birds. Other excellent areas to check out in South America are the Hato Pinero and Hato Cedral ranches in Venezuela, which are particularly favourites for bird watching.

Europe – there are heaps of popular places in Europe for bird watching. In Britain alone, there are hundreds of bird watching areas. If you’re considering going to Britain, something to look out for is the yearly bird fairs and conventions held in several local districts. Scotland and Ireland are also popular bird watching areas, as the many lakes and islets around these two countries are home to numerous disparate forms of bird life that are specific to these islands.

The Carribean – the Carribean Islands, while normally associated with water orientated vacations , are in reality another good area to visit on a bird watching world tour. In the Bahamas, Grand Bahama Island is the most popular place to go for bird watching. Bermuda is another beautiful island to travel to, as there are seven major natural reserves there sponsored by the Audubon Society. In Jamaica, the Rocklands Bird Sanctuary is a favourite since the birds there are so tame they literally perch on the birders and eat out of their hands.

Asia – if you’re able to roam that far afield, Asia is a marvellous place to go for bird watching as many differing species live there that have no counterparts in the West. Japan alone is home to approximately 600 species of birds with Lake Utonai and Tateyama Bird sanctuaries being the most outstanding wildlife reserves where you can see many of them. China is not only attractive to serious bird watchers for its native species of birds, but for the fact that certain places like Beidaihe are migratory hubs for far-ranging birds from across the whole of Asia. Another good place to visit for bird watching is Thailand’s Doi Inthanon International Park, which features 382 nonmigratory species.

Liz Canham is webmistress of Worldwide Bird Watching.

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Hummingbirds are one of the most beautiful and active species of birds to watch; their colour and the way they dart around are so entrancing to the keen bird watcher.

There are over three hundred species of hummingbirds, native to the Americas and parts of the Carribbean. They are particularly renowned for their mid air hovering ability, sustained by the rapid flapping of their wings, between fifteen and eighty times per second, the humming sound of which gives them their name. They are the only species of bird which can also fly backwards as well as vertically, somewhat like a vertical take off and landing aircraft. Interestingly, their feet are not useful for walking, just perching so if they want to travel, they must fly.

There are seventeen species of hummingbirds which live in the USA, mostly in the warmer parts such as Texas, California and Arizona, although some can be found in the east and others in the Rocky Mountains. Most migrate to the warmer climes of Central and South America in winter but their route and destination is very much dependent on species.

Other than their extraordinary flying characteristics, the appearance of the hummingbird is what makes it so attractive. The iridescent sheen of the feathers and gorgeous colouring of blue, green, pink, purple and almost anything in between are quite irresistible to the bird watcher.

If you have a garden in a hummingbird area, you will know that they love brightly coloured flowers. These vary from area to area but Salvia, Buddleia, Nicotiana and Callistemon (Bottle Brush) are universally popular. Hummingbirds have long curved beaks, designed to suck nectar from plants with bell shaped flowers. While feeding, they will hover in mid air which is quite a spectacle and they need to feed approximately every ten minutes. They also eat small insects and pollen for protein so if you can avoid using insecticides in your garden, it would be much better for the hummers. If you want to provide food for your garden hummingbird population, there are plenty of feeders on the market from which to dispense nectar. Try to choose one which has a moat to prevent ants getting to the nectar.

Some people see orange and brown or zebra striped flying creatures in their gardens which hover and act just like hummingbirds. Don’t be deceived – these are probably hawk moths.

Hummingbirds court visually. The male may raise his feathers edging the gorget and shake his head from side to side, all the while, making shrill noises. He also does dive displays, accompanied by various sounds made vocally or by the wing feathers. Alternatively, the male may perform a shuttle dance involving flying back and forth very quickly in arc shapes only about ten inches wide and sometimes right in front of the face of the female.

In some species, the males all group together and sing to attract nearby females into their territory. The males and females have separate territories, the females for nesting and the males usually to protect a source of food.

All in all the hummingbird is not only beautiful and active but fascinating to watch in terms of other behaviour.

Liz Canham is webmistress of Worldwide Bird Watching.

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Feeding wild birds isn’t just a question of chucking a few bits of bread on the lawn and leaving it at that.  It is far more complex and not a responsibility that should be taken lightly.

Anyone who is determined to feed wild birds will need to buy huge amounts of bird food every winter as well as a book about birds and some binoculars to be able to study and identify the different wild bird species.

Every couple of days, the bird food container will need to be filled again, which if calculated over the space of a year, amounts to a considerably expensive investment.   A commitment such as that usually comes with the expectation of attracting unusual and attractive wild bird species.

Bird Food Choices

There are many varieties of bird feed on the market and these can easily be bought in single bird feed types or mixes at the local supermarket, garden supply store or livestock supply store.

You may be surprised to know that the mixture of bird food one uses greatly influences the variety and quantity of birds that will come to feed, so if you want to attract a certain species, you will need to research carefully what their favourite food mixture is.

In a study of more than seven hundred thousand observations conducted in California, Maryland, Maine and Ohio, carried out under the supervision of the Wildlife Urban Research Program of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, striped black sunflower seeds and white millet were the standards used.  The rest of the feeds were provided at experimental tables together with one or two of  the standards in order to gauge the feeds’ attractiveness.

Many birds are actually not too fussy and will eat a variety of foods but even some of these showed a marked preference for a particular type of food.

If you offer foods that are known to entice the particular wild birds that you would like to see, attracting them should not be too difficult and will also deter those birds you do not wish to encourage, such as starlings for example.

Those birds which eat seeds are usually attracted to sunflower seeds and of these, the one found to be most attractive to wild birds is the black-oil type.

The types of birds likely to be attracted by white millet are small ones, such as sparrows and peanuts (shelled) are most attractive to starlings.

The bird feeds that are quite unappealing to wild bird species are canary, rape and flax.
If you want to discourage the Brown Headed Cowbird, that most notorious of breeding parasites  or house sparrows, safflower seed is the feed you should use.

Feeding wild birds may not be as easy as you first thought, but some effort in researching which breed prefers to eat what and, indeed, which won’t eat certain foods, should ensure that you attract the birds you want and discourage those that you don’t.

Liz Canham is webmistress of Worldwide Bird Watching.

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Bird watching tours are a popular form of unconventional holiday.  Bird watching itself is one of the world’s most wide-ranging pastimes, especially in America, Europe and Asia and there are many different sorts of tours you can take.  Some combine wildlife viewing in general, while others are mainly devoted to actual birds.  Here are a few holiday alternatives you may like to consider:

Wildlife Reserves – tours hosted by wildlife reserves provide great opportunities for bird watching. You’ll be able to see the birds in their natural habitat, as well as enjoying the spectacle of their interaction with other forms of wildlife in the area. These tours require a keen eye though or a really good pair of binoculars, as birds in reserves can usually only be viewed from a some way away.

Aviaries and Bird Sanctuaries – these are dedicated tours for bird watchers that take place inside special types of wildlife reserves that house only birds. These tours are fun because they  are planned to showcase birds, full stop.  While in wildlife reserves one can see a variety of creatures, aviaries display birds in huge screened cages, making it easier to see them close to.

Wildlife and Bird Watching Tours – these are guided tours through wild areas which generally contain a lot of different indigenous species of birds. They are similar to trips taken through a wildlife reserve, except that this type of tour actually takes you on an extended trip into a jungle, forest, desert, or other area of wilderness. This is a little tough if you’re not an out of doors type of person, but it does offer bird watchers one of the most satisfying and personal experiences they can have.

Ecolodges – these have accommodation which can be reserved like hotel rooms. What makes them so different is that they are situated in an outdoor area where flocks of birds tend to congregate in large numbers allowing the guests in the lodge to view the birds to their heart’s content and at quite close quarters.  An added feature of the better-designed ecolodges is that their outsides are built to look like part of the scenery, so that animals and birds are not wary of the presence of concrete and steel. While this doesn’t work with animals that can detect alien items by smell, birds are usually duped by the look of an ecolodge, and will actually land within metres of it without taking fright.

Annual conferences – these offer unique chances for all bird watchers. Aside from socialising with fellow bird fanciers, some bird watcher conferences are held at times and in places that coincide with the migrations of certain species of birds. Attendees of these conferences often go to them just for the opportunity to see migrating flocks of birds that they would not see at regular times.

All in all, there are plenty of different bird watching tours available to suit all tastes and pockets.
Liz Canham is webmistress of Worldwide Bird Watching.

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If you’re not a professional bird watcher or tour guide then there are a few things that you need to know before venturing out to start your new hobby. Believe it or not, you can’t just do what you like, where you like and there is a strict code of ethics, even for amateur bird watchers.

Right to Roam

In Britain nowadays, it would seem that the rights of many landowners have been eroded and that ramblers can go wherever they please. However, this isn’t always the case and it is, in any case, a common courtesy to seek the approval of the owner before you go trampling all over this property. If the landowner requests that you do not go through certain areas, then do observe his wishes and likewise if he asks that you keep to the edge of fields, etc. then do so. If, while bird watching on private property, your target bird moves off into forbidden territory, you’ll just have to let him go. Don’t think that because you’ve seen a rare bird, the landowners wishes can be ignored.

In addition, just treat the landowner’s property as you would wish your own to be treated; don’t drop litter, don’t be noisy and
Use your common sense to guide you when bird watching on private property: don’t litter, don’t make any noise and don’t do any damage.

Care for the Environment

When you pack your rucksack to go out bird watching, be sure to include a plastic bag or two so that you can bring your rubbish home with you. Never, never drop litter out in the countryside (or anywhere else for that matter) irrespective of whether others have done so before you; you don’t have to follow their bad example.

Care for the Birds

Never do anything which can have an adverse effect on the birds themselves. They didn’t ask for you to be watching them and they have the right to carry on their lives undisturbed, so always check with yourself whether anything you’re doing could be upsetting the birds.

Photographing Birds

Don’t get too close to the birds when you’re photographing them, particularly if you’re using a flash as this could be very frightening for the birds and may interrupt their normal routines. Use a camera with a zoom lens with a decent magnification and if it’s very large, you’ll need a tripod too to prevent camera shake.

Parking Your Car

When you go bird watching, remember that you may be gone for some time so be thoughtful about where you park your vehicle. Never block gates or paths or indeed, any form of entrance.

Your Mobile Phone

It’s essential to take your mobile with you, in case of accidents or incidents while out bird watching. In addition, the owner of the land you’re using may need to get hold of you but do make sure that the ‘phone is set to silent mode with the vibrate feature on.

All the above just involve using a bit of common sense and consideration for others as well as for the birds, so remember this ethical code and enjoy your bird watching.

Liz Canham is webmistress of Worldwide Bird Watching.

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