44: How to Start Birding in Your Backyard (and Help Birds During Nesting Season)

Spring is when the birds get loud again. You hear them before you see them — in the morning, in the trees, and in the background of your day.

If you’ve ever thought about getting into birding, this is a really natural place to start — right outside your door.

In this episode, we’re talking about how to start birding in your own backyard, how to identify common birds by sight and sound, what’s happening during nesting season, and how to support birds in ways that genuinely help.

There’s a lot of advice out there this time of year — and not all of it is as helpful as it sounds. So we’ll also walk through what to avoid, common bird hazards in suburban spaces, and simple ways to support backyard biodiversity and habitat.

Takeaways

• How to start birding right in your own backyard
• Why birdsong supports mental well-being
• How to identify birds by sight and sound (using Merlin Bird ID)
• What citizen science is — and how to take part
• A look inside Project NestWatch and nesting season
• How to join the Great Backyard Bird Count
• Why common nesting materials (like yarn and dryer lint) can harm birds
• What birds actually need: habitat, not materials
• Common bird hazards (windows, cats, habitat loss)
• Simple ways to support backyard biodiversity

One Small Shift
Leave your earphones at home for one walk this week and just listen. Learn to identify one bird by sound and tell me who it is!

Resources:

Safe Nesting Materials for Birds (blog post)

Merlin Bird ID
Birds Canada - Project NestWatch

Birds Canada - SwiftWatch

Great Backyard Bird Count

Wild Birds Unlimited

Feather Friendly

Related Episodes:

Ep. 18: Connecting Communities Through Green Spaces with Carolyn Scotchmer

Ep. 20: Wildlife Conservation, Birding, and Finding Hope in Nature with Matt Howard

Ep. 25: Redefining Sustainable Living — From Zero Waste to Real-World Resilience

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Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio

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