Bird watching is an entertainment as well as a way to get to know biodiversity first-hand. The melodious chirping, colourful feathers and unique behaviour of the birds cannot be seen from behind the cage.
Most bird watchers believe that observing activities can train calm and patience and can avoid stress. This activity requires exact knowledge on a certain type of bird and ability to observe its character. However, there are ethics that every observer needs to pay attention to so as not to disturb the birds and their habitats.
The “ultimate weapons” in bird observation are eye and ear, which need to be trained to be sensitive to the presence of birds. To see the bird, don’t walk around and chat. Look around so that every movement, sound, and shadow of a flying bird doesn't go unnoticed.
If you manage to see bird sightings, you need good self-control. Birds in the forest will usually stay away if they feel disturbed by the presence of humans. The sound of people conversing will put them on high alert, let alone people laughing.
Birds are also sensitive to movements. If the observations were carried out under calm conditions, even the bird with sharpest eyesight would not realize our presence in their habitat. Making a movement towards the bird is also unnecessary, because it will only disrupt the observation.
So, the key is to seek and hear the bird without much movement, sound, nor trying too hard to get close to it. If it is impossible to hide when you find a bird, duck down and walk slowly. In addition to maintaining an attitude, qualified equipment is a must in an observation.
Binocular or monocular?
Observing a bird from a “safe” distance, where birds are not disturbed by the presence of the observer, is not easy. The answer to this situation is binoculars. The tool will easily tackle difficulties in observing birds with naked eyes. Binoculars are varied in shape, size and lens magnification capability. The better the quality of the lens, the higher the price.
Observations of forest birds need binoculars with 7×35 magnification, while observations in a wide and open area—such as raptors—recommended using binoculars on 8×40 or 10×50 magnification. The numbers 7x, 8x, and 10x refer to magnification; meaning, the observed object can be magnified by that number. The other number is the objective lens diameter in millimetres.
Spotting scope, or monocular, is also useful in an observation. The peephole number is the only difference between monocular and binocular, the other working principle is the same. However, monocular’s magnification ability is far more advanced, ranging from 20×50, 40×60, or up to 60×60. Because of this, monoculars are heavier and require a support or tripod
The monocular can also be a powerful weapon for wildlife photographers. Due to its stronger magnification, photographers can perform digiscoping, a digital shooting technique, which allows photographers to identify their object more accurately.
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Indonesia is one of the transit areas and destinations for various migratory birds from all over the world. Indonesia is the main migratory destination for eagles. This bird of prey flies through a route known as the East Asia Continental Flyway, which stretches from Siberia to Southeast Asia.
Estimated about one million raptors will traverse the Eastern Mainland Corridor which covers around seven thousand kilometres in length. One observing spot for raptor migration is Paragliding Hill in Puncak, Bogor, West Java.
We invite you to participate in migrating raptor observation on Saturday, October 28 2017 at 07.00 WIB at Paragliding Hill, Puncak, Bogor. Bring along your family or relatives to welcome these travellers from the north. Further information: (WA/LINE) 0811-11454-88