Bird Study Group

Birds Calgary 2010 - Useful Tools
2010 Home -- About the Competition -- Rules -- Ethics -- Registration -- Maps -- Useful Tools -- Special Events -- Sponsorship & Prizes -- Other Regions -- Submitting Results

Maps & Birding Locations in Calgary

Go to the maps page for more information.

Listserv

The list is for competitors in the Birds Calgary 2010 Competition. Its primary purpose is to enable sharing of information about birds found in Calgary in a timely manner in order for other competitors to see the bird. All participants are encouraged to inform the list as soon as possible of any interesting or new species found, including detailed information as to where the bird was seen.

We also require you to include your name on any posting in case you need to be contacted for more information as to the location of the bird. To access the list, go to Yahoo Groups, or follow it on this page.

Only registered competitors may join the list; however, anyone can read it online.

Field Trips

Everyone is encouraged to participate in the field trips which are held most weekends and sometimes during the week throughout the year. You will get to know other birders, get help in identifying the local birds and be introduced to a number of natural areas in Calgary. The field trips are listed on the web and updated monthly.

Blogs

The competition has its own blog -- see Birds Calgary 2010. Updates, results, forms, etc. will be found on the blog rather than on the website. Check the blog frequently to see what's new with the competition.

Twitter

You can follow the Competition's Twitter on this web or follow it on your own Twitter account. Go to https://twitter.com/birdscalgary once your account is open and click on the "follow" link below the owl logo.

For beginning birders

There are a number of websites with lots of information on birds and birding, aimed at new birders. Some are included on the Birding on the Web page, along with many other valuable sites. There are also several links to information on choosing the appropriate optical equipment for birding.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a new free series of web videos on "Inside Birding" and a newly redesigned All About Birds website. You will learn the secrets of the “four keys” to bird identification, and have a world of information about birds at your fingertips. Read more about it...

It is really important to have a good guide book to consult in the field when you find an unfamiliar bird, or to study at home in preparation for a day's birding. Some suggestions are:

The Sibley Guide to Birds by David Allen Sibley

National Geographic Field Guide To The Birds Of North America, 4th Edition by National Geographic Society

Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America by Roger Tory Peterson

The above three guides cover all of North America and may seem overwhelming at first. However, if you get, instead, a guide that only covers the Western region, and you travel outside the area, you will find that you need to buy a whole new guide!

Use a notebook: It's hard to remember what you've seen, so jot down what the bird looks like and what it sounds like. After a while you'll remember the bird and the song.