Learn birding, one video at a time
Birding YouTube is wonderful and completely uncurated — so we curate it. The best tutorials from Cornell Lab, Badgerland Birding, Lesley the Bird Nerd and more, sorted by where you are on the Flight Path and playable right here.
Level 0: The Curious
Birdwatching 101: 10 Essential Tips for Beginners
A friendly 10-tip primer that answers 'where do I even start?' before you buy any gear.
▶ Bright-Eyed Birding Learn
Bird Watching for Beginners
A gentle overview of what birding is and how to notice birds around you day to day.
▶ Royal Botanical Gardens
Inside Birding: Size and Shape
The single most useful ID skill from the experts: recognizing a bird by its shape, not just color.
▶ Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Level 1: The Backyard Host
Bird Feeding 101: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Backyard Bird Feeding
A complete walkthrough of feeder types, seeds, and placement to get birds visiting fast.
▶ Badgerland Birding
How to Attract Hummingbirds — Recipe and Expert Q&A
The trusted nectar recipe plus expert answers on drawing hummingbirds to your yard.
▶ Smithsonian's National Zoo
A Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeder That Works — Easy DIY Under $20
A cheap, practical fix for the #1 beginner frustration: squirrels stealing all the seed.
▶ UnchartedDIY
Level 2: The Fledgling
Birding 101: Mastering Binoculars for Beginners
Teaches you to actually find and focus on a bird through binoculars without losing it.
▶ Badgerland Birding
Merlin Bird ID Demo from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
The official demo of the free Merlin app that IDs birds by photo, sound, or a few questions.
▶ Cornell Lab of Ornithology
How to Pick the Perfect Birding Binoculars (First Time!)
Straight advice on magnification and price so your first binocular purchase isn't a mistake.
▶ Better Birders
Level 3: The Field Birder
Birding by Ear: A Beginner's Guide to Bird Songs and Calls
Your entry into birding by ear — identifying birds by sound, the field birder's superpower.
▶ Detroit Bird Alliance
Learn to Identify 10 Common Sparrows
Demystifies the notoriously tricky 'little brown jobs' with clear side-by-side tips.
▶ Badgerland Birding
Birding Warblers
Field tips from Cornell experts for spotting and IDing fast-moving migratory warblers.
▶ Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Level 4: The Advanced Birder
Bird Photography Tips Even Professionals Miss (ft. Simon d'Entremont)
Pro-level bird photography technique from one of the most respected wildlife shooters online.
▶ Wilder
Complete Guide to Digiscoping
Learn to shoot distant birds through a spotting scope — the affordable path to big reach.
▶ Doug Hitchcox
The Warbler Guide — Cornell Lab Seminar
A deep-dive seminar on advanced warbler ID for birders ready to level up.
▶ Cornell Alumni Association
Gear to support your next practice session
Our researched binocular and feeder picks. These are BirdingPath recommendations, not equipment endorsements by the video creators.
Videos are embedded from their creators' public YouTube channels; all credit and views go to them. Know a tutorial we should feature? Email hello@birdingpath.com.