Do you know the difference between a robin and a chickadee?
Can you tell your warblers apart?
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And can you recognize these birds by the sounds they make?
While the stereotypical image of a birdwatcher may be of a nature lover toting binoculars through the woods, the Forest Preserve District of Will County aims to make birding more accessible to those for whom vision is a challenge.
This month, the district will host Birding for the Blind and Visually Impaired at Plum Creek Nature Center, located in Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve in Crete Township.
“Birding by sound has always been an approved, scientific way of identifying birds, but it is gaining more traction with people who haven’t been birding before, because of the accessibility of apps like Merlin,” Alyssa Parker, program coordinator at Plum Creek, explained, referring to the smartphone app that IDs birds by photo and sound. “A lot of birding can be done by sound and it makes birding more accessible because you don’t need to buy a pair of binoculars to get started. All you need is time to spend listening to the world around you.”
Parker – a native of Chicago’s South Side who worked all over the country in outdoor education before coming to Plum Creek two years ago – learned how to bird by sound at her first job from a mentor who was visually impaired.
“Everyone that worked there knew how to bird by sound, so I slowly learned from him as well as several of my coworkers,” she said. “Since then, I’ve practiced by birding with others, listening to sounds and quizzing myself, and listening to birds every day.”
Parker said she finds it less stressful to bird by sound because it puts less pressure on being able to spot the bird.
“Birds rarely sit still but call fairly often. It also alerts you to birds in the area; often you hear the bird before you can see it,” she said. “This is an activity that can be as physical as you want it to be. You can easily sit in your backyard or in a park and listen, or you can walk the trails to get your heart pumping.”
While Parker has previously led birding-by-sound programs, this is the first one to target the visually impaired and blind community. “People enjoy learning about birds and our birding programs are always well attended,” she said.
So, what exactly should participants be listening for as they approach birding by sound?
“Imagine being at a party with 20 people in one room speaking at the same time. Some people are louder, some don’t talk as much, some folks flit about and talk to as many people as they can, but each voice is unique,” Parker said. “Birding by sound is like that. Once you start to learn the different bird voices and tones, you can start to filter them down to the ones you don’t know and keep learning new ones along the way.”
Bird calls can be unique in their cadence, tone, sound and structure, Parker explained. Which are easiest to identify? “The ones people are most familiar with or see and hear every day without realizing it: mourning doves, blue jays, robins, chickadees and even some owls.”
The most challenging ones vary from person to person. “I struggle the most with shorebirds because I don’t spend as much time by the shore listening to them,” Parker said. “I am most familiar with woodland and prairie birds since I spend most of my time hiking there. I try to learn and become proficient with at least two new bird calls every year, and this year I tried my hand at learning some shorebirds and was humbled immediately.”
For birds that sound similar, like warblers, Parker offered some tips for making distinctions: “I use different mnemonics or fun phrases to remember the calls for warblers. For example, the reason why I can remember a black-and-white warbler is because it sounds like a squeaky wheel. The common yellowthroat sounds like ‘wichita, wichita, wichita,’ but to some people, it can sound similar to a squeaky wheel.”
Parker said she hopes the program will help the Forest Preserve District create a relationship with the visually impaired community and provide more inclusive services in the future. “When we are more inclusive, everyone benefits. I really want more people to feel included in outdoor spaces through something fun like birding,” she said. “Even if you only learn one or two calls, you open your ears to more possibilities to connect with nature.”
The program is offered in partnership with Birdability (https://www.birdability.org/), an education and advocacy organization that works to make birding more accessible to people with mobility challenges, blindness or low vision, chronic illness, intellectual or developmental disabilities and mental illness, and those who are neurodivergent, deaf or hard of hearing, or have other health concerns.
There’s a benefit for folks without visual impairments as well.
“Buying binoculars can be a hurdle for some people because ones that really aid in visually identifying birds can be quite costly,” Parker said. “Birding by sound removes that barrier. You can listen to birds while sitting, hiking, walking in your neighborhood or even parked in your car somewhere. It’s something that can be accomplished no matter where you are.”
If you go
Birding for the Blind and Visually Impaired will be held from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 19, at Plum Creek Nature Center, 27064 Dutton Road, Beecher. Registration is required by Thursday, Oct. 15. The free program, which includes a 1-mile hike, is open to anyone age 16 or older, regardless of visual ability. Details and registration are at ReconnectWithNature.org.
Jim Dudlicek is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
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