Tips for planning your own birding trip

Planning a birding road trip? Whether you’re going by hike, bike, car or plane, some planning will help you make the most of the trip. Here are some tips from birders and travel planners:

• Study a regional field guide to know what birds to expect in your destination for the given time of year.

• Consult online resources to find out what birds have been sighted recently along your route. The Cornell Lab’s eBird service (ebird.org) and other online databases assembled by the American Birding Association (aba.org) can help narrow your focus. See birdcast.info to track migration.

• Identify your target birds that you hope to spot.

• Plan your route. Google maps trip planner is a helpful tool that lets you find nearby lodging and eateries, and add notes about each destination. See shorturl.at/anoOT.

• Check the weather forecast along your route to help you pack.

Here are some planning resources:

Planning the ultimate birding trip: shorturl.at/INOST/

Destination birding travel tips: shorturl.at/gtR25

Birding while biking: shorturl.at/alDHS and shorturl.at/vyCV0.

Is hiking more your thing? Check out aba.org/aba-area-birding-trails.