Reddit reviews Birds of Colorado Field Guide

Welcome! The answer is yes, there is a dictionary and some equipment, but it's not as much as you might think. A book and even a basic pair of binoculars will take you most of the way. Bird feeders are optional: some people do feeders as their entire effort, other people don't do feeders at all. It's up to you.

While you can go out with just your eyes and/or ears, most people prefer to take binoculars, a camera, or a spotting scope [miniature telescope]. Most people also either take some sort of ID aid.

A low-end but usable pair of binoculars will run $25-100 depending on the size, most "decent" to "good" binoculars will run $100+, with really high-end pairs up to $2500; it just depends on how much you're willing to spend.

With binoculars there are a couple things to look for:

• Style: all binoculars have a hinge and some sort of outer covering. A pair with a rubbery or plastic coating is ideal, though not required. The body may be narrower or wider, for general purposes the difference is aesthetic; there are differences but for your purposes they are not important. The hinge may be single or double; a double may have open space around the barrels, which is nice if you have bigger hands. Fiddle with the focus knob to make sure it is easy for you to reach and turn. Basically, make sure they are comfortable to hold and use.
  
  
• Power: A scope or pair of binoculars will have two numbers, like this: (8x32), (10x50), (12x50), or some similar set of numbers.
  
  
• • The first number is magnification. An 8 power gives you an 8x view, a 10x gives you a view ten times closer, and so on. The bigger the magnification, the "more" image you will see, but the harder it is to keep the image stable for reasons of physics.
    
    
• • The second number measures the diameter of the larger lens [the one away from your eye]. A "32" means the larger lens is 32mm across. A "50" means your largest is 50mm. The bigger the number, the more light-gathering power you have. If you plan to be out in lower light situations, or if you want to use the binoculars for astronomy, you want the biggest number you can get here. If you mostly plan to be out during the day a smaller number is recommended. Keep in mind that the bigger your binoculars, the heavier and bulkier they are.
    
    
• • Brightness matters. If you divide the lens size by the power, you get a number that helps you figure your brightness. For example, 8x32 works out to "4". 8x25 works out to "3". And if you go with 10x50 you get "5". The larger the resulting number, the better/brighter your image in general.
    
    
• • Most people settle on 8x42 because it gives you a good brightness with a magnification number most people can hold steady. By no means is this required, though. There are a variety of options available, and the best binocular is the one that is [1] comfortable in your hands, and [2] produces a steady image.
    
    
• • Scopes have similar specs and considerations, but are obviously more like a telescope. Cameras are very different, if you decide to go into cameras there is a whole other ball of wax to consider.
    
    Bird ID.
    
    You can use a book, an app, or both. Any bookstore or bird-feeder store should have bird id books, usually called "field guides". They include pictures of the birds and short descriptions, along with a map showing areas of the country where they are usually found. You can also download a variety of apps that will do this. They organize birds by type, so all the ducks are together, all the sparrows are together, all the herons are together, all the hawks are together, etc. Some use photos, some use drawing or painting. Some are big, some are small. Some are national, some are local. The most recognized names to look for are:
    
    
• National Geographic
  
• Peterson
  
• Sibley
  
• Kauffman
  
• Audubon
  
• Smithsonian
  
  
• Others: There a great many authors/compilers, look through whatever books your local store has available and find one that makes sense to you. As with binoculars, any book is useful, but the best one is the one you are most comfortable with. You can even get simple waterproof plastic folding "handout" type guides that only include the most common birds.
  
  If you prefer birds to be listed by color you need to look for the series by Stan Tekiela. The link is for his Colorado book, which is where I live, but he has books for every state.
  
  I would also recommend setting up an account at ebird, you can keep a checklist there along with all kinds of pictures, maps, and other useful stuff. The same people who run ebird also run All About Birds, and produce an app called Merlin. Merlin is free, and might be a good app to start with even if you eventually add others later.
  
  You might also google "birding + [home area]" as there are facebook groups in most areas, and there are often area specific websites. Here in Colorado, for example, we have both Colorado County Birding and the Colorado Birding Trail along with a variety of facebook groups, a google group, and a listserv. Your state/region likely has similar.
  
  I would also look up the Audubon chapter in your area. Some are more active than others; it is worth looking up your local unit to see if they are active in doing trips. Some areas may even have multiple active chapters.
  
  There may also be a bird or nature specific store in your area that does trips or other events. There are also a lot of birding festivals/events around the country at various times; many birders travel to them, but it is also ok to wait for one near you.

Stan Tekiela is an incredible write of bird books. I have the vermont one and it is the best, here is the Colorado Bird field guide he wrote, I imagine it’s pretty good. Good luck!