Introduction to Bird Photography Resources
When I started taking pictures of birds, I often didn’t know what I was taking pictures of until I got home and looked at the birds on my computer. After seeing a larger image, I would go to various online and print resources to identify the bird in the picture. I still do this today, and it’s a great learning experience! The subtle differences in species, like sparrows, can sometimes make identification difficult. And many times, it’s difficult to tell a male from a female bird in a species. Fortunately, excellent resources are available to help identify and learn the nuances between birds.
Another challenge with bird photography is finding spots with many unique birds to capture. There are online groups that can help with this, and being a member helps. However, there are other resources you can use to locate spots in your area that others frequent for bird photography.
Let’s dive in!
3 Applications That Help Identify And Locate Birds
Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab—I like Merlin very much and use it very often. Speaking to other birders and photographers in the field, I know others also rely on this app. The first feature of this app that I use is bird identification using bird sounds. If I don’t recognize sounds or songs, Merlin can tell me the bird, which is likely the source. The second feature I use is bird identification from a photograph. Once I’m done editing a bird picture, I’ll send it to my phone and open it in Merlin to get an ID. Merlin presents identification options and photos of each species that help the process. Once you’ve clicked “That’s my bird!” Merlin saves it to your lifetime bird list. You also have the option to save the bird to your lifetime list on eBird. Finally, Merlin lets you download “bird packs” that provide geography-specific data on bird species. For example, when I went to Grand Teton National Park and Costa Rica, I downloaded the bird packs for those geographic areas, so I had local bird information readily accessible.
Get Merlin from the links below.
eBird is another application from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that’s very helpful for bird photographers. eBird is a crowd-sourced database of bird observations and can be used to locate bird hotspots. When you open the app, you will be ready to start entering a checklist of birds you see while you are in the field. eBird keeps your checklists handy for future reference and also uses them to update its bird observation database. I often use eBird’s “Explore” feature when searching for bird hotspots in my area or when I am traveling. I can update my location in the app, set some filters, and get an updated list of parks, trails, waterways, and other places where birds have been spotted. As I mentioned above, Merlin lets you add your observations to eBird.
Get eBird from the links below.
The National Audubon Society has created the Audubon Bird Guide App, which is also helpful to birders and bird photographers. The app includes Audubon-based resources for identifying birds, plus it’s linked to eBird for locating bird hotspots and adding sightings out in the field. I don’t use this app as much as Merlin and eBird, but The National Audubon Society is THE resource for birders, so it’s a good application to have on your phone.
Get the Audubon Bird Guide App from the links below.
Identify Birds With Your iPhone and Apple Intelligence
With Apple Intelligence, I now use my iPhone for bird identification. Once I’ve downloaded pictures from my camera’s memory card to my computer, I send a version to my iPhone. When you open the image in the Photos app on your iPhone and then click the “Information” button at the bottom of the screen, you’ll see the bird’s identification. While Apple Intelligence is just being rolled out, I’ve been surprised by its accuracy, so try it with your bird pictures! It also helps identify trees and plants, and I imagine other things I’ve never thought of trying. Not being an Android user, I’m not sure if you can do the same on your Samsung or Google phone, but if not, I expect it will be as smartphone AI continues to improve.
2 Websites That Can Help You With Bird Photography
We’ll start this list with the National Audubon Society website. When you arrive on the landing page, you’ll see several offers and fundraising messages. Look at the top menu and select “Explore Birds” to access resources to help you with bird photography. These include:
- Bird Photography Hub
- Tips for Photographing Birds
- Camera and Equipment Advice
- Audubon Photography Awards
When starting, I referred to the information I found in these links and still find them interesting.
You also want to look at local Audubon Chapter websites for news about birding and bird photography in your area. For example, I am a Saw Mill River Audubon member and find helpful news, event listings, and other information on their well-maintained website. You can find a local chapter by going to the “About Us” section of the National Audubon Society website and then to the “Find Audubon Near You.”
Next up is the website for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The Cornell Lab brings you the Merlin and eBird apps described above, and its website includes many valuable resources for bird photographers. Like the Audubon website, the Cornell Lab site has several fundraising offers on its landing page. Look for “All About Birds” on the top menu, and you’ll be taken to resources, including guides, courses, and bird cams. I’ve taken the “Bird Photography with Melissa Groo” course, which was beneficial when I started. I’ve also looked at some of the games on this site and found them an interesting way to learn more about birds.
https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/product/bird-photography-with-melissa-groo/
5 Books That Help You With Birding And Bird Photography
Note: Book links are affiliate links.
The Beginner’s Guide to Photographing Birds by Rosie Rossner
First, the book’s photographs are fantastic and complement the bird and bird photography content. This book covers everything someone new to photography might need to get started. There is information on equipment and finding birds, but from my standpoint, the best chapters and tips are around composition and technical topics like focus, sharpness, lighting, and exposure. The tips on working in the field and approaching birds are also helpful. At the end of the book, you’ll find how the author created 25 successful bird photographs. In addition to an interesting story, you’ll find information on camera, lens, and exposure. I’ve learned a lot from this book, and I continue to review the information as I build my bird photography skills.
Find More Birds by Heather Wolf
I like this book because it contains tips I didn’t think about when photographing birds. There are 111 ways to find more birds in your area. The book includes basics of finding birds and advanced techniques like heading out to bird after a storm. My favorite tips include those in the section “Finding Birds At Their Favorite Restaurants” and “Finding Birds Acting Crazy” (I never thought about fermented berries and birds before I read this). If you want to find more birds and take more bird pictures, add this book to your library, then find and experiment with the tips offered.
Birding the Hudson Valley by Kathryn J. Schneider
This book is specific to the Hudson Valley in New York State, so it’s a valuable resource if you live there. It starts with the geography and geology of the Hudson Valley and moves on to birding basics. The real value of this book is the large number of parks and preserves where birds can be found. Each listing includes detailed information on the park or preserve and what types of birds can be found. Maps, directions, and other information will interest new or experienced birders.
The Warbler Guide by Tom Stephenson and Scott Whittle
One of the most difficult things I’ve found in bird photography is finding and idenfifying warblers. Most are small, fast, and often hang-out high in trees which makes them hard to photograph. And to my eye many look alike so I need to spend time with references like “The Warbler Guide” to figure out what I have photographed.
If you are trying to photograph warblers, this is the book to get. In addition to many pictures to help ID warblers, the book includes information about each warblers’ songs and how-to tell a male from a female warbler. It also provides comparison species so you can look at similar birds to make sure you’ve properly identified the warblers you’ve seen or photographed.
Taking Pictures of Birds Can Sometimes Be Challenging
But the resources above can help! The Cornell and Audubon websites and apps offer a lot of free resources that are great. While the books are not free, the tips and recommendations from the authors can give you a lot of new ideas to improve your photography. I started wtih eBird and Merlin, the Cornell and Audubon websites, and went from there. I hope you find these resources valuable as you start and get more experience with bird photography!
