Taking it a step further ...
As you may have seen or are soon to see, birding is an immensely popular hobby. There are many websites and organizations are dedicated to birds. Here are some of the resources I find the most helpful.
Websites:
- All About Birds
- All About Birds is probably one of the best resources out on the Internet. The site was created by the Cornell University's Lab of Ornithology. It shows you field marks for every bird, where the bird is usually found, the food the bird eats and their common calls. The website is not only a database of birds and everything known about the bird but an interactive one as well. You can add your own bird sightings to their databases! Be sure to check out their YouTube and Facebook page for great footage and photos of birds!
- Wikipedia's List of Florida Birds
- I realize that Wikipedia is only semi-reliable, however it is another great starting point for discovering birds. The Wikipedia page has all the birds common to Florida, as well as the links to the birds' own Wikipedia pages.
- Florida Musem of Natural History's Florida Bird Sounds
- Here's something from Gainesville! While the Florida Museum of Natural History's own bird site is outdated, bird sounds hardly change over the years. This is a great little list of calls from all the Florida birds. Enjoy the sweet symphony!
- Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail
- Great is no understatement here. There are plenty of birds and wildlife to see within the state of Florida (consider yourself lucky!) and Florida knows it! The birding trail will literally put you on the right path to see a variety of birds. There are also birding tips and resources to identify birds as well.
- Local Birding Sites - as listed by Alachua Audubon Society
- Alachua Audubon Society has a brief list of great birding locations right in Alachua County. In fact, one of those locations is Lake Alice right on campus!
Books
- Stokes Field Guide to Birds: Eastern Region
- Donald and Lillian Stokes are the top bird gurus and their books are phenomenal! Any of their books will do and you have your choice of a beginner's book to one for the more experienced.
- When purchasing a field guide, it is important to buy the latest edition of a guide. The bird world is an everchanging one.
- Feathers
- If you are more interested in what happens beneath the feathers and songs of birds, then this book may interest you. The book goes into depth about a marvel of the natural world: feathers.
Local Resources
- Wild Birds Unlimited
- Wild Birds Unlimited is a national chain store however, there is one in Gainesville (lucky you!). This store is specifically for backyard bird enthusiasts. They have every bird feeder imaginable and great seed mixes to fill those feeders. The one in Gainesville also has a variety of birding books and gifts for the bird enthusiasts.
- Alachua Audubon Society
- John Barbour mentions that one of the best things that someone new to the birding hobby is find his or herself a mentor. And the Society is one of the best places to look for one (or more). The Audubon Society takes frequent birding trips, which are all of varying time lengths and difficulty. These trips are open to beginnings and non-members.