Birding for Hunters

OK, I know what you’re thinking; this guy has been out in the sun too long if he thinks I’m going to become a bird-watcher, me being a big rugged hunter and all. Well, stereotypes aside, the truth is that hunters are normal everyday people just like anyone else, and most often have other interests aside from hunting. What if you were able to combine that other interest with your hunting; you’d have twice the enjoyment and twice the motivation for a hunting trip. Think of it as an adjunct to you skills as a hunter and a way to enrich the enjoyment of your time spent in the field. Actually, it’s a case of adding to your hunting experience rather than taking over from it. Birding can be like one of those things that you discover has been right under your nose all along, but never realized it until it’s pointed out, then all of a sudden every time your outdoors becomes an excuse to do some birding. I don’t expect everyone to become a fanatical birder, but you may find you enjoy it more than you imagined.


I think there are a couple of reasons that birding, bird-watching, twitching, whatever you want to call it, fits so well with hunters. Firstly and fore mostly is that fact that hunters for the most part are nature lovers whether they are really conscious of it or not. They love being outdoors in the bush, the sights, the smells, the freedom to wander and soak up the atmosphere that is nature. Birds are a big part of that ‘atmosphere’. In fact what bush scene would be complete without the accompanying shrill notes of a passing squadron of parrots, the melodic song of a butcher bird or the busy twitter of a wren? Birds are an inescapable part of the Australian bush and inextricably linked to our experience of it.

The other reason is the simple fact that hanging around the neck of most avid hunters is the birder’s number one tool; a pair of binoculars. So you’re already set up with nearly everything you need, no additional outlay required other than maybe a bird field guide to aid you in identifying what species you’re looking at. And another benefit for hunters: if you happen to wear camouflage clothing when you hunt it certainly won’t hinder your chances when it comes to birding.

One thing that I realized early on is that the Australian bush is not a very color filled environment. The majority of our country is generally an arid landscape and in places where there is forest, it’s predominantly dry eucalypt woodland. It’s a landscape of dull shades of brown, green, grey and yellow and you have to look pretty closely to find the odd colorful flower or insect buried in the undergrowth. Most of our larger animals like the marsupials are generally nocturnal and are inactive or hidden during the daylight hours, so there’s not a lot activity to be seen. Birds provide the color and movement that’s otherwise missing in our forests, like a polished red ruby emerging from a bucket of gravel; they stand out as an exclamation mark of vibrant color and interest. Even when there’s almost no other activity happening in the bush, the birds will still be present, so if you’re a birder your very rarely let down.

Another great thing about birding is that it’s an activity you can enjoy when you’re not hunting. For example, trips with the family like bushwalking, camping or even fishing, in fact all or any occasion where birds are present. But before we go any further, let me take this opportunity to debunk a common misconception; bird-watching is not just for geeks or little old ladies, in fact most birders I’ve met don’t fit either of those descriptions. Stereotypes of birders are just as inaccurate as stereotypes are of hunters and almost always wrong; everyone is a unique individual. Birding is for anyone who loves to see wild animals in the wild, and in the case of most birds, magnificently colored, interesting wild animals.




When I go bushwalking I can’t help but feel sorry for the other parties we pass along the track who are not birders. In my view they are missing 50% of the picture. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the tall trees and the views from the lookout as much as anyone but you can only stand so much of trees and shrubbery. Having an interest in the birdlife is like having front row seats to the theater of nature; it’s where all the action is happening, the rest are all just stage props. Your binoculars are just means of drawing it closer so you can soak up all the color and detail and make the impression all that more striking.



In a many ways birding is similar to hunting and incorporates several elements of the hunter’s art. For instance; when you set out it’s the uncertainty of the day’s forthcoming events that creates the adventure because you never know what you’re going to flush out. You have a hope for something in particular but it’s the mystery of discovery and what may be around the next bend that keeps you going. Then, as with hunting, when it comes to the actual appearance of your quarry, it’s all about your reaction, which may require lightning fast reflexes to draw a bead or a slow deliberate stalk to get within range. Making a good stalk and taking the successful shot would be the equivalent of getting a good hard look at your bird and making a successful identification, in other words nailing it down so to speak.

Some of you may be starting to sense that there could be a conflict of interest being a birder and at the same time a wingshooter or waterfowler. Well, perhaps not. Since time in memorial hunters have traditionally had great respect for their prey and appreciated its beauty; this intimate connection with nature one could argue, gives the hunter a truer sense of its beauty and value. Hunters instinctively recognize the concept that they themselves are part of nature’s cycle of life. Though some would like to overlook the fact, there is no denying that our position in the food chain is that of a predator. The human is one animal that has developed the ability to understand aesthetic and abstract concepts such as beauty; at the same time he is also an apex predator in the food chain. Can it not follow that whilst he can appreciate the beauty of birds for example it would also be perfectly natural for him or her to bag a brace of quail or a couple of pacific blacks for the evening’s dinner table. I see no logical reason why the love of nature and the taking from it can’t exist side by side; native cultures have been practicing these very same traditions for thousands of years. The only proviso is that above all other factors it must be sustainable; after all what would be the use of enjoying your sport if future generations are deprived of the same enjoyment because of one generation’s shortsightedness and mismanagement. Hunters have always been natural conservationists; after all it’s in their own interests to do so.

Let me deflate another myth; bird-watching is not about sitting there all day watching one little bird jump around, I would consider that fairly boring myself. It’s actually more about the challenge of identification; getting a good enough look to positively identify your bird and then moving on to the next challenge. Over time you may develop a deeper appreciation of your particular favorites and enjoy just watching their behavior for short periods, but for most beginners that’s not usually the case. For most birders the ultimate thrill is the excitement of seeing a bird they’ve never seen before and the challenge of working out just what this new bird might be. It’s not as easy as you think, hence the challenging part.
It can become quite competitive when you get a group of birders together to see who can be the first to identify the fleeting glimpse of a tiny bird at what can seem like a mile up in the treetops. An expert birders speed of identification is quite amazing to behold. We all know if something is too easy it’s won’t hold our interest for very long, well with birding there’s no shortage of challenge to be found. At around 800 Australian bird species it would take a lifetime to run out of ‘new’ birds to discover, but beware, you may find yourself having to travel further to sometimes remote places to spot that elusive once in a lifetime bird. What better excuse to go on a trip, as if any of us need much of an excuse.

Throughout this whole article I’ve so far failed to mention the single greatest reason of all to be a bird aficionado; it’s a fantastic motivation to shoot foxes and feral cats, just in case you needed one! But seriously, foxes and feral cats are a primary factor (aside from land clearing and over-grazing) in the decline of our woodland bird species Australia wide. Particularly vulnerable are any ground foraging or ground nesting species such as quails, ducks, parrots, babblers and many shorebirds. We don’t even have to mention the damage they are doing to our native frogs, lizards, bilbies, bandicoots, and the list goes on. Every time you shoot one of these nasty introduced predators you are doing our native birds and animals a favor and at the same time a good deed for Australia’s biodiversity. Anyone who eradicates one of these destructive environmental vandals or indeed any introduced pest species could rightly be regarded as an ‘Eco-warrior’ in a very practical sense. For the wingshooting fraternity we have a job also; the targeting of indian mynahs and starlings. These aggressive introduced birds out-compete many of our native birds, particularly parrots, for their all important nesting hollows. For those shotgunners in certain states mourning the temporary loss of their duck and quail seasons, pick yourselves up and turn your attentions to a new challenge, the targeting of introduced bird species: indian mynahs, starlings, spotted turtle-doves, pigeons etc. there is no shortage of these pest species. I’d even go as far as to encourage shotgun clubs to liaise with land holders and organize drives to clean out heavily infested areas of pest birds and to encourage competition between participants with prizes for the day’s highest bag. These are the sort of measures that need to be taken in some areas. So whether you’re a rifleman or a shotgunner, there are plenty of positive things that can be done.



Just a word on equipment before I finish; invariably there is always debate about the best size of binoculars for birding or hunting. If you want the short answer; a pair of high quality 8x42 roof prism binoculars are the ultimate choice and will suit both pursuits equally well. Overall, pair of 8x42’s are the best compromise between size, weight and light transmission. This has been the widely accepted standard by experts for many years. Almost no one carries 10x50’s these days for any distance unless they have a masochistic streak and there’s really no need. With recent advances in optics there is a trend towards smaller binoculars with a 32mm objective lens . These days a good quality pair of 8x32’s can have nearly as much light transmission and resolution as the 10x50’s of yesteryear. For the weight conscious hunter who might be hiking all day, already burdened with pack and rifle the 8x32’s are probably the best choice. Having said that, I have gotten by for many years with a set of Nikon 8x25’s without much problem, except in lower-light situations such as heavy forest or dawn and dusk. For bird field guides it depends on whether you want to carry it with you or not. The most popular small ‘carry’ size guide book is undoubtedly the ‘Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds’. For a larger guide that you may want to leave in camp, my personal favorite is the ‘Michael Morcombe Field Guide to Australian Birds’. Other good long standing choices are the ‘Simpson and Day’ and the ‘Pizzey and Knight’ field guides. These are all good reference works so it just comes down to personal preference which one you buy. If your an incurable birder you will probably own all of them because some artists depiction of certain birds can be better than another's and this can be just the clue that is needed to make a difficult identification.

So the next time you’re out hunting and not much is happening, throw up the binos and take a look at a few of the birds around the area, you might start to wonder what bird your looking at. If that curiosity starts to bite, you’ve already become a birder. With some appreciation of our native birds you may find yourself becoming more interested in what’s increasingly becoming known as ‘conservation hunting’ because you’re more acutely aware of what you’re fighting for. You can then rest assured you are helping to return the enchanting color and sound of our native birds to our forests and farmlands, all the while giving a boost to the eco-system and hopefully enjoying even more, your time spent hunting.