How to Make a Winter Bird List

Cedar Waxwing 1 by Bob MacInnes

Here I’m going to tell you how to make a winter bird list for your area. I made a winter bird list for Kansas, you can make one for wherever you live using the same steps. It can be a list for your nature garden, or it can go beyond this.

Why Make a Winter Bird List?

Unless you’ve looked at making a list of birds to look for in winter you may not realize that your area has winter bird visitors. For instance, here in Kansas, the cedar waxwing (pictured left) can only been seen in winter.

But you may also be wondering why you shouldn’t just do a Google search for a suitable list for your area or state. I’ll tell you why you may want to make your own list. There are several reasons:

- you may want to include only birds from a specific habitat;
- you may want to learn what the birds look like while making your list;
- you may want a short list which is achievable and can engage your kids (and yourself).

Step 1 – Get Yourself a Good Bird Reference Book

A good bird reference book will not only allow you to make your list, it will also help you identify any new birds you see later. The book you use will need to tell you what to expect for your area. Here are some bird guides to consider:

1. The Sibley Guide to Birds is the bird book others are measured against. It’s detailed without being overwhelming and highly understandable to use, though perhaps rather daunting for you if you’re new to birding.
2. All the Birds of North America was my favorite until I saw the Sibley guide. I like that this one is compact. Personally I think the maps in Sibley are easier to use (after 12 years of casual use of this book I still haven’t managed to memorize the map colors for the different seasons).
3. Stokes Beginner’s Guide to Birds – Eastern Region uses photographs rather than illustrations. As well as clear little maps it contains tips on how to attract the different bird species. Make sure you choose the correct Stokes guide for your area.

Now you’ve got your book with maps or another way to identify which birds will be in your area, let’s look at the next step.

Step 2 – Where Will You Look for Birds?

Many winter bird visitors to Kansas are ones which like water and can only be found on lakes or ponds. I wanted my list to only include birds I might see in my back yard and I don’t have a lake in my back yard. The only birds which made it onto my list are birds of woodlands or gardens – I excluded birds which like large open areas, prairie, or fields too.

Step 3 – How Do You Want to Use Your List?

You can make a long list of any winter visiting birds you might see, but before you do that, think about how you want to use your list. Is it going to be a checklist of all possible birds? Or maybe a list of a few special birds you’d like to see. Or you might be asking your kids to make a list, or making a list to catch their attention and prompt questions. Maybe you want to put on only birds you’ve never seen before, birds which visit only in winter, or birds you know you’ve seen and which will be sure to visit your garden again and bring you/your kids a feeling of success.

Step 4 – Choose a List Format

Do you want a simple 2 column list with bird name and page number? Maybe you’d prefer to make an illustrated list by drawing each of the birds you’d like to see, giving each bird it’s own page in your notebook or journal. Or you might want a multi-column list with common name, scientific name, habitat, size, and features as well as the page number.

Step 5 – Get to Work

I call it work, but this is the fun part. Snuggle up with you book and a pencil and paper, notebook, or journal. Simply start at the front of the book and work toward the back. Check the map to see which birds are in your area in winter.

Take as long or as short a time to make your list as you like. Enjoy the process, stop and use a ruler to help you visualize a few birds you’d love to see, or zoom through making a mega-checklist. Just make sure that if you’re doing this with your kids that you don’t leave them in the dust with your enthusiasm!

Birds are a wonderful gift of nature, something for us all to enjoy. Have you ever made a winter bird list for your neighborhood? Do you have a favorite bird guide book? Please share in the comments and consider subscribing so you won’t miss any posts.

Find birding binoculars, bird books and bird baths at Amazon.com.

Related posts:

1. 5 Ways to Winter Bird Watch with Kids
2. All About Bird Nesting
3. Squirrel is Waiting for Winter