When 2 p.m. rolls around at the office, it鈥檚 primetime for a pick-me-up. Some of us reach for a second cup of coffee; others succumb to a sugary treat. But what if there was another way鈥攁 better way鈥攖o recharge our brains during the 9-to-5 slog?
There are always the birds outside your window. That鈥檚 right, whether you鈥檙e in a billion-dollar high-rise or a suburban stripmall, just outside your office window is a world like no other, where Red-tailed Hawks dive-bomb pigeons, American Kestrels battle Common Ravens, and hummingbirds flash by.
For some, the excitement is almost too much. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a distraction,鈥 says Nathaniel Miller, director of conservation at which is located in a large building on the Chicago waterfront. 鈥淲e have to close the blinds during important meetings so people pay attention.鈥
For others, maintaining the appearance of working is part of the thrill. 鈥淥ffice birding is more fun when it鈥檚 illicit, when you can sneak a bit of your hobby out of your professional day,鈥 says Nick Lund, a senior manager with the National Parks Conservation Association and author of 鈥The Birdist's Rules of Birding" columns. 鈥淚t鈥檚 more satisfying to look out the window and see if you can get four species while still participating in the meeting.鈥
So, how can you get in on the chicanery?
First things first: You don鈥檛 have to arrive at the crack of dawn to see a bird from your window. While the morning does tend to busier overall (birds are out looking for breakfast and, in spring, a mate) you can find birds at almost any time of day. Here are some further tips for boosting your returns during working hours.
Know What Kinds of Birds to Look For
If you鈥檙e staking out a window in a multi-story building, keep your eyes peeled for raptors such as Peregrine Falcons, Red-tailed Hawks, American Kestrels, and Cooper鈥檚 Hawks. 鈥淭hey nest right here in the skyscrapers of Chicago,鈥 Miller says of Peregrines. 鈥淚f you give it 10 minutes, you have a better chance of seeing one.鈥
On luckier days, you might catch a raptor scanning for prey from a perch on a nearby building. 鈥淐ooper鈥檚 Hawks come in and hunt pigeons and sparrows,鈥 Martha Harbison, network content editor at 探花精选, says. She points to a rusty water tower across the street from her Manhattan office. 鈥淭hey鈥檒l sit there and rustle their feathers, then swoop.鈥 In fact, if you can鈥檛 find a predator, just observe its prey. When pigeons sense an attack, their behavior shifts; a single flock might split in two or simply scatter.
For an office that overlooks water or trees, the entertainment might include eagles, warblers, owls, woodpeckers, and a variety of waterbirds. Sara Fuentes, a board member of the , a chapter of the 探花精选, has seen Bald Eagles flying during meetings near the Potomac River. The suburbs offer an even better spread. 鈥淚 think I鈥檝e gotten almost to 80 species from my office,鈥 says Nick Hawvermale, an engineer who works near a pond in Westchester, New York. He鈥檚 recorded Green Herons, Brant, and Wood Ducks by simply peeping through his window.
But no matter where you work, be sure to stay on high alert during spring and fall migration, when hundreds of species are cruising past offices around the country. For instance, Manhattan鈥檚 Bryant Park鈥攁 nine-acre scrap of land that鈥檚 surrounded by towering skyscrapers鈥攂ecomes a hotspot for American Woodcock between March and May. Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, birders can spot loads of Yellow-rumped Warblers in city parks in October.
Keep a Stash of Basic Birding Gear at Your Desk
To get started, you only need a good pair of eyes鈥攐r ears, if you鈥檙e as gifted as Fuentes. 鈥淚 was working [at my office] and heard ,鈥 she says. That was enough to tip her off so she could also spot it on the wing.
But for those of us without superpowers, it鈥檚 fine to fall back on the basics: a pair of binoculars and a field guide. (If you鈥檙e in the market, check out 探花精选's binocular guide, download our free 探花精选 app, and then see what other guides might be good for you.) 鈥淚f I go to [indoor] meetings I will generally have my binoculars with me,鈥 John Rowden, director of community conservation at 探花精选, says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 standard equipment.鈥
Want to up your office birding game even more? Try installing a spotting scope by the best window. (And yes, there鈥檚 a guide for those as well.)
Turn a Sighting Into an Office Party
Office birding is better when you share the experience with your desk buddies. If you鈥檙e gazing out the window on your walk to the bathroom and spot something spectacular鈥, for example鈥攍et the entire office know. Send an email or drop a note in your favorite messaging app (why not create a #spotted hashtag or channel?). 鈥淪omebody will notice [a bird] and it with either go out in email or Slack, and everyone will get up,鈥 Harbison says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like a little stampede.鈥
If your coworkers don鈥檛 seem to give a hoot, a) we still think you鈥檙e cool and b) there are millions of other birders out there who might care. Whether you鈥檙e close enough to get a smartphone shot or have a camera with a long lens, nab a photo of what you see and upload it to , a crowdsourcing platform that collects data on bird sightings for sporting and scientific purposes.
鈥淚f people are observing birds from their windows, it would be great to capture that information鈥攑articularly in urban environments,鈥 Rowden says. 鈥淥ur understanding of urban conservation needs to grow.鈥
Make Your Office More Bird-Friendly
Big, glass windows are the key to good office birding (sorry, basement dwellers). But they also pose a huge risk to birds; each year, avians die from crashing into windows in North America. So what can you do to make sure your thrill doesn鈥檛 kill?
For starters, if your building allows it, try adding removable decals to any exterior-facing glass (if you're crafty, perhaps you'll enjoy these DIY ones.) You might also want to move plants away from the windows; for birds speeding by buildings, your favorite office succulent might look like attractive habitat鈥攗ntil it鈥檚 not. If there are feeders near your building, see if you can have them moved a safe distance from any windows, as feeding stations can lead to an increase in bird strikes.
Another trick is to simply close your blinds when you leave for the night. While you鈥檙e at it, turn down the lights, especially on spring and fall evenings. 鈥淭he collisions are really bad during migration because so many birds are traveling through,鈥 Miller says. And because most of them migrate at night, illuminated buildings have a higher chance of attracting and disorienting them.
If All Else Fails, Cheat a Bit
That鈥檚 what working from home is for, right? 鈥淚鈥檒l be in the middle of a call and stand up and watch a hummingbird,鈥 Rowden, who works from his home office in Los Angeles, says. To upgrade his view and attract more species, he around his home. 鈥淔ortunately, I work for 探花精选 so it鈥檚 not that big of a faux pas to just completely lose focus and stare out the window,鈥 he adds.
Or better yet, follow Lund鈥檚 advice: Make up an excuse to leave the office and go on a real birding foray. 鈥淭he first time, fake sick. It鈥檚 the best,鈥 he writes in Birdist Rule #88. 鈥淎fter that, you鈥檝e got to mix it up.鈥 (Kids, dogs, repair people, and grandparents are all fair game).
Of course, you could risk it all and invite your boss along. Just be sure you both set your calendars to 鈥busy.鈥