Oregon photograph by Scott Waite
The background noise becomes a cast of familiar voices. You start noticing who is back in spring, who is missing in winter, and who is arguing in the hedge.
Try this
- Download Merlin. The Cornell Lab’s free Merlin Bird ID app identifies birds by sound, listing who is singing in real time, even when several sing at once. It knows more than 400 U.S. and Canada species (Cornell Chronicle).
- Stand still for 15 minutes. Same spot, same time each morning: a porch, a window, the end of your block. Let Merlin listen with you.
- Pick your five. Choose the five birds you hear most often. Those are your birds for the week.
- Learn one a day. Look at its photo, listen to its song, and try to spot it without the app. Say its name when you hear it.
- Write them down. Five names on a card on the fridge. Add the date you first heard each one.
If it feels hard
- If you can’t see the bird, that is normal. Most birding is listening. Sound counts.
- If the app lists something unlikely, trust what you see over what it guesses, and check the photo and range.
- If you want company, local Audubon chapters run bird walks, and beginners are usually welcome. Find one with Audubon near you.
Make it yours
- Alone: make it your morning coffee ritual, by an open window.
- With someone: each of you learns a different bird, then quiz each other.
- Low energy: a feeder outside a window brings the birds to you.
- Anywhere: cities have birds too. Pigeons, sparrows and crows all count, and they are more interesting than they look.
Join the count
The Great Backyard Bird Count runs February 12 to 15, 2027. You can count for as little as 15 minutes and submit what you see at birdcount.org. More than 450,000 people recently took part (Audubon). Your five birds could be part of the largest snapshot of bird life in the world.
Why it works
In a King’s College London study using the Urban Mind app, seeing or hearing birds was linked to better mental wellbeing for up to eight hours, for people with and without depression (King’s College London). Learning their names gives you a reason to keep listening.
Where to start
- Merlin Bird ID: free sound and photo ID from the Cornell Lab
- Audubon near you: local chapters, centers and bird walks
- Great Backyard Bird Count: four days in February; 15 minutes is enough
Five birds is a small list. But once you know them, your street will never sound the same.
I hope this finds you well,
Scott