Heard a chirp or spotted a flutter? These free apps identify backyard birds by sight or sound — no binoculars or in-depth bird knowledge required.

Birding is a popular pastime for people of all ages. According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, more than 45 million people enjoy watching birds. It’s a hobby you can pick up at any time, it’s ...

Each spring I wake to the sound of a bird purring in my neighbor’s trees. Now, I know birds don’t purr, but that’s the best word I could come up with to describe the sound. It wasn’t chirping. It didn ...

Jun. 30—Is that the tweet of a titmouse? Or the chirp of a chickadee? After you download the app Merlin Bird ID, you can use your smartphone to identify sounds and match them to the birds in trees ...

In my yard in Decatur the other morning, an unseen bird in a shrub belted out something that sounded like, “Drink your teeeee!” I knew immediately that it was an Eastern towhee. Then, a loud “cheerily ...

One of the simplest ways to slow down is to stop, smell the roses and listen to the birds. However, it seems people are starting to do more than just listen to them. The hobby of bird watching might ...