Birding: it’s far more than just watching birds!
Birders deliberately chose which areas to observe, write detailed notes, draw sketches of the birds they find and much more all in the name of conservation. We sat down with local birding expert Ram Ramamurthy to get the low down on our high-flying feathered friends.
Ram is originally from Bangalore, India. He moved to the United States in 1979 to teach chemistry at the Ohio State University (OSU).
While planning to come to the US, he was advised to cultivate a hobby, so he spent a month with a friend from the Indian Forest Service at a tiger reserve to learn about birds. He found the animals fascinating and learned as much about them as he could in his time there; at OSU he met a teaching assistant whose father was an expert birder and learned even more from him.
Ram’s career and family life kept him from doing much serious birding until 2009, when he rekindled his interest during a visit with his adult daughter while she served with the Peace Corps in South Africa.
Since then he has been an avid birder, taking classes at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and attending birding festivals all over the world. He is now on the Board of Directors for the Black Swamp Bird Observatory in Oak Harbor, Ohio and belongs to the Hells Birders group in Ann Arbor.
Ram believes birds are a proxy for the future of the environment. Observing them can reveal things about the health of the ecosystem, and right now they are telling us that they need our help. Bird populations have been declining drastically, with over 3 billion birds lost since 1970 due primarily to significant habitat loss from human activity.
Conservation and education are desperately needed, and birding is an excellent way to achieve both. Michigan is an excellent place for birding, and so Ram is excited to offer his advice for how to get started with this fascinating and important hobby.
Ram recommends birding as a hobby for people who want to be outdoors, as one must spend a lot of time outside to find and observe birds.
The aspiring birder should also consider how they will prefer to take notes, sketch drawings and otherwise record information while birding. Many birding enthusiasts still use pen and paper for this, and you will need binoculars in order to see wild birds in sufficient detail to identify them and their behaviors. Many birders also incorporate more modern technology in their hobby; you may want to consider using one or more birding apps.
For those who want to get serious about birding, Ram highly recommends taking courses from respected ornithologists, such as the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s online birding classes. They have many courses, but he suggests newcomers start with the free eBird Essentials course.
Joining a birding group is another good next step for the serious birder and anyone can help make a difference by choosing bird friendly native plants for their yard, or finding ways to get involved with conservation groups like the Audubon Society.
Weather you’ve just discovered your new favorite hobby, or simply satisfied your curiosity about birding, we hope you enjoyed learning about Ram Ramamurthy and his passion for birding.
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