How to Use Binoculars
New to birding and birding equipment? Need a refresher tutorial on how to use binoculars? Here is a great video by Jessie Barry on how to use binoculars for birding.
Bird Identification
Below are some PowerPoints to help get you familiar with the most common species of birds you might see during your survey period. These materials are great for beginners and a refresher for intermediate birders. North Carolina Bird Identification and Allaboutbirds.org are great resources for bird identification. They also provide access to different bird calls and songs for each species.
Bird ID Quizzes
You can take these bird ID quizzes to test and improve your birding skill. Once you submit your quiz, you can check out the correct answer. Four photo ID quizzes (1. Beginner Bird Identification Quiz 2. Intermediate Bird Identification Quiz 3. Advanced Bird Identification Quiz 4. Winter Migrant Bird Quiz) and two sound ID quizzes (1. Bird Sound Identification Quiz I 2. Bird Sound Identification Quiz II).
AOU Bird Codes
Bird codes are not required, but it would be helpful if you use the 4 letters AOU Bird Codes on your datasheets. If you prefer not to use the codes, please use the common name of each species. I have attached the AOU Bird Codes for the Birds in the Training PowerPoint and the Complete List of AOU Bird Codes. TRIBC Common Birds AOU Bird Codes and Complete AOU Bird Code List.
Bird Guides
If you don’t have access to a hardcopy Bird ID Guide or if you prefer to go digital, Merlin Bird ID by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a great resource to use while out in the field. It provides common birds in the area, images, and calls of each bird as well as allows you to get ID help on the spot for tricky birds. This app is available for both iPhone users and android users.
Tutorial for Selecting Your Survey Points
Google form to reserve your sites.
Data Collection Protocol at Your Site – Using data sheets
An example of a filled datasheet
The below image is an example of a filled datasheet. To download the original datasheet for Triangle Bird Count, go to the 2022 Triangle Bird Count Datasheet. 
Submit your data
You can take pictures of your datasheet and email them to jbai5@ncsu.edu. You can also mail your copy to us at the following address.
