Birding Resources
Select from one of the following resources to learn more about various aspects of birds and birding in Washington State. The information provided on this web site is subject to change. It is not meant to be definitive or exhaustive. We welcome your comments and input. Please e-mail birdweb@birdsconnectsea.org.
Going birding? Be prepared.
If you're meeting a group, go a few minutes early. Wear seasonally appropriate, and quiet, clothing and footwear. Always take enough food and water for the length of the trip. Be considerate of others, and stay with the group; forging ahead may scare away the birds and make it impossible for others to see. Lock your car. Hide your valuables. Respect private property. Use common sense.
The Etiquette and Ethics of Birding
We support the American Birding Association's Code of Birding Ethics.
Before using an audio device (like a bird audio smartphone app) in the field, we recommend reading “The Proper Use of Playback in Birding” by David Allen Sibley.
Audubon Chapters
Take a field trip with the local Audubon chapter! Find the chapter nearest your destination.
Getting Around
- How's traffic? Check Washington State roads.
- What exit was that? Interstate exits across Washington State.
- Tide Tables for the Washington Coast and Puget Sound
- Washington State Ferry Schedules
Permits, Passes, and Parking
Passes and Permits -- What you need to know before you go.
- The Discover Pass is required for Washington state parks, water-access points, heritage sites, wildlife and natural areas, trails and trailheads.
- Which recreation pass will you need at your destination?
- Information about permits for national parks and wildlife refuges, Washington public lands, US Forest Service lands, etc.
- Federal Duck Stamps are also accepted at national wildlife refuges, and they support waterfowl conservation.
Reporting Banded Birds
USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center Bird Banding Laboratory
12100 Beech Forest Road
Laurel, MD 20708-4037
Telephone: 301-497-5790
Fax: 301-497-5717
Other Good Information
- Washington State Parks
- National Wildlife Refuges
- Washington State Trail Recreation Information for the Disabled
- Lists of Washington Native Plants
Washington State Bird Festivals
- Upper Skagit Bald Eagle Festival, late January or early February
- Othello Sandhill Crane Festival, late March
- Olympic Peninsula BirdFest, late March/early April
- Washington Brant Festival, Semiahmoo, mid-April
- Grays Harbor Audubon Shorebird Festival, late April/early May
- Leavenworth Spring Birdfest, mid-May
- Puget Sound Bird Fest, Edmonds, mid-May
- Audubon Wenas Campout, Early Summer
- Ridgefield Bird Fest, mid-October
Bibliography
- Benchmark Washington Road & Recreation Atlas
- A Birders Guide to Washington by Hal Opperman, ABA
- Birder's Guide to Coastal Washington by Bob Morse
- The Birders Handbook A Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds
- Birding in King County by Eugene Hunn
- Birding in the San Juan Islands (The Mountaineers, 1987)
- Birding Washington by Rob and Natalie McNair-Huff
- (NEW) Birds of North America, Focus Guide by Kenn Kaufman
- Birds of Washington; Status and Distribution by Terence R. Wahl, William Tweit, and Steven G. Mlodinow
- The Birds of Yakima County, Washington by Andrew Stepniewski
- Important Bird Areas of Washington by Tim Cullinan
- Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman
- National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America
- The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior by David Sibley
- The Sibley Guide to Birds by David Sibley
- Sibley's Birding Basics by David Sibley
- Washington Atlas & Gazetteer by DeLorme
- The Work of Nature: How the Diversity of Life Sustains Us by Paul Ehrlich