Hendersonville – As spring arrives, we are surrounded by beautiful flowers and trees, and gardening is underway all around. Flying among this beauty is a diverse array of colorful birds searching for food and water as they seek suitable places to build their nests. You seldom have to go far to find birds in various eye-catching hues and sizes. It becomes important to know what to look for and listen to when you see a bird. Today, an increasing number of people are eager to learn about these creatures. Many join clubs, such as the Carolina Bird Club or the Blue Ridge Audubon, to gain more knowledge. The Wild Birds Unlimited stores in Asheville and Hendersonville offer many quality products related to bird life, and their staff and websites are full of helpful suggestions to enhance your understanding of birds.
One easy way to learn more about avian life is to go on a day trip with a knowledgeable guide. Ventures Birding offers several local tours in Western North Carolina, Upstate South Carolina, and Eastern Tennessee. Clifton Avery, a highly knowledgeable ornithologist, is leading a group to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on June 14th for a cost of $60. The day will begin in the Oconaluftee River Valley and culminate at the highest point in the Smokies, Clingman’s Dome. The walk will undoubtedly feature unusual and beautiful flora and fauna. Some of the possible birds that might be seen include various Warblers, the Scarlet Tanager, Hairy Woodpecker, and Bald Eagle.
Ventures Birding also offers international tours, where participants can experience stunning landscapes as well as exotic birds. A tour is planned to North Dakota from June 9 to 18, with Paul Laurent as the guide. North Dakota is a hidden gem for birdwatching, especially in the spring and summer months. The unique ecosystems of the vast badlands, grasslands, and prairie potholes provide birders with a wide range of bird families to observe. The cost of this tour is $2,950 per person, limited to 10 participants. Many other birding tours are scheduled for the year—to the Caucasus, Newfoundland, Indonesia, England, and Panama. For more information, visit https://www.birdventures.com/ventures-tours.html.
Newcomers to the local area, Jennifer and Kevin Burke, started Carolina Nature Tours. In 2023, after years of combined experience in the parks industry, they launched their own family enterprise. Jennie shares, “we are both passionate about the rich biodiversity found here in the Southern Appalachian Mountains.” Kevin specializes in birding, while Jennie has extensive knowledge of plants and community ecology. Together, they offer guided public and private walks and day trips primarily in Western North Carolina, mainly within an hour of Hendersonville, focusing on DuPont State Recreational Forest and Pisgah National Forest. The public tours consist of small groups with a maximum of 10 participants. The two-hour tours cost $35; the four- to five-hour hikes and tours cost $50. More information can be found at https://carolinanaturetours.com/tours/.
Thanks to computers and the internet, there are many ways to further your understanding of birds in your backyard and help them survive. One of the most extensive sites is the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. Here you can find an incredible number of articles on birdwatching, wonderful bird cams to observe their nests and feeders, ways to identify bird songs, and general information. You can watch a hellgate Osprey in Montana currently sprucing up its nest or see a mother American Kestrel in Wisconsin offering food to her five hungry chicks on May 28th. A free tool developed by the Cornell Lab is The Merlin Bird ID App. With a large database of bird observations, participants can identify a bird by sight or sound on their phone or computer—no more guessing; just let the app tell you what it is.
In February 2025, the Great Backyard Bird Count took place worldwide, with hundreds of thousands of people counting birds in specific backyards or areas for four days. Altogether, 8,078 species of birds were identified, with 200,000 viewers identifying 670 species. The Northern Cardinal, Dark-eyed Junco, and House Finch were the most frequently seen. The country with the most species of birds was Colombia in South America, with 1,374 bird species reported, followed by Ecuador with 1,129 species. The United States ranked 12th in species population worldwide. It is hard to compete with all the colorful parrots and exotic birds found in tropical climates. In North Carolina, 216 species were observed, with Buncombe County participants sighting 97 and Henderson County 85. Dare County, the easternmost county in the state, had the highest count with 173 sightings. For more information, see https://tribpapers.com/archive/2025/02/community/count-birds-save-birds-the-importance-of-this-years-bird-count/65955/. Birding is a recreational activity that can add a new dimension to a person’s life, regardless of age.