Beginning Bird-Watching

• Male California quail
  
  If you don't know very much about bird identification yet, the Bird Guide at Cornell Lab of Ornithology, listed in the Resources section below, should be your first stop. You can browse the database by shape, or by taxonomy for more advanced users. Let's say you've seen a bird like the one in the photo and want to find out if it's a California quail. Select "gamebirds" on the menu and photographs of several types of gamebirds will appear on the right-hand side of the page, including the California quail, the state bird of California. You can even listen to several different calls that the bird makes!
  
  

Where to Watch Birds

• You might see hundreds of species in your own neighborhood over a period of time, but if you're planning a trip, there will be good opportunities for bird watching in areas away from your home. The California chapter of the Audubon Society maintains a list of 145 Important Bird Areas in California, organized by county. See the Resources section below.
  
  

The Life List

• Now that you've seen and identified several species of birds, keep notes of where, when, and under what circumstances you saw them. Bird-watchers call this the "life list," and it's a record of all the species of birds you're certain you have identified during your lifetime of bird-watching. Take plenty of photos, especially if you've been fortunate enough to see some really unusual birds.