#1 You hear birds more often than seeing them
Usually when I go birding, I’ll see half of the species and only hear the other half. Many birds are shy and only show themselves for fleeting glimpses or not at all. A lot of birds prefer to hide high up in the canopy making it difficult to get a good visual.
#2 You usually hear a bird before seeing it
Often, a bird song or call is the first indication one is nearby. Knowing what bird may be vocalizing is helpful to know what to look for. I use Merlin to help ID birds I hear.
#3 It helps you better remember a bird
Literally watching a bird sing is a great way to add additional mental notes to help ID it in the future. I also enjoy reviewing the spectrograms of the audio clips I upload to eBird, to help commit the song to memory.
#4 You can impress your friends
Being able to rattle off species of birds you are hearing is sure to impress your friends and other new birders. Just like recognizing someone’s voice, becoming familiar with bird sounds get easier over time and will happen organically as you birdwatch more often. Try these techniques to help learn bird songs and become a better birder.
