Have you ever thought about having birds as pets? I once worked in a place where there was a large cage of small birds. I was told they were finches. I loved listening to them. Well they had some babies, and one day I arrived at work and was gifted with these birds.

So I went out and purchased a large cage. I learned lots about finches during that time, but was missing a vital piece of information. These little birds like to stay busy! That means they reproduce…it seemed as quick as rabbits! Every week there seemed to be new eggs present in the nests I provided.

It was quite a lesson!
And I still loved hearing them wake in the morning…
Read more about Finches and Canaries.

When you are just starting bird watching, the general guides can be somewhat confusion.

I really like the idea that many locations are coming out with their own guides. Here is one such guide for Kentucky, geared toward the beginner.

Lexington Herald-Leader | 02/18/2006 | A birding guide for beginners

Another good way to start is your own backyard. One of the reasons backyard birding is a great place to start is because as you watch all the birds, you begin to recognize them, their behaviors andhow they are similiar or not to other birds.

As you compare them to the guides you are using, you learn to quickly look for certain details as new birds come into the yard. To learn more about getting started, visit Backyard Bird Watching.