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You can get started simply, with a basic bird identification book. There are editions that are specific to the Northeast. Familiarize yourself with some of the more common species found in New Jersey. Hang a bird feeder near a convenient window and watch for cardinals, blue jays, nuthatches, finches, titmice and grosbeaks. Specialized feeders are available that will attract bluebirds, hummingbirds and bug-eaters like woodpeckers.
If you'd like to venture beyond the backyard and into the woods, fields or marshlands of New Jersey, you may need a pair of binoculars. When buying binoculars, consider size, shape and weight. Don't assume stronger is better; very high-powered binoculars may require a tripod for best results. A good, all-purpose birding binocular should be easy to use and provide bright, sharp images in a wide variety of lighting conditions. -
There are several bird refuges in New Jersey, and each provides viewing and identification opportunities. The Wildlife Migration Trail in the southern part of the state provides a well-marked excursion. The coastal marshes and barrier islands of this area teem with migratory birds during the spring and fall. Warblers, thrushes, tanagers, flycatchers and orioles spend the summer months in the surrounding pine and hardwood forests, and indigo buntings, blue grosbeaks and yellow-breasted chats summer in the marshlands.
In fall, don't miss the opportunity to view thousands of hawks as they head south for winter. Every year, avid birders gather at the Nature Conservancy's Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge and Cape May Point State Park to witness this event.
If your travels take you to New Jersey's white sand beaches, you will be treated to laughing gulls, herring gulls, great and lesser black-backed gulls. Plovers, sandpipers and sanderlings will zip by as well. - Once you've watched and identified a few bird species, you may want to join the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). The GBBC is a fun annual event that takes place over four days in February. Bird watchers count and record bird sightings, creating a snapshot of bird populations across the country. Scientists use this data to document and understand the repercussions of habitat loss, climate change and other events that impact bird populations.
