Birding, or bird watching, is a hobby that can bring immense joy and tranquility. It allows you to connect with nature, sharpen your observational skills, and discover the beauty and diversity of the avian world. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced nature lover, birding offers a rewarding and educational experience. Birding can be accomplished in your backyard for a few minutes at a time, on an extended birding-intensive trip to some exotic location, or anything in between.

By nature birders are curious and always learning. This site provides tools to help you learn about bird distribution in Iowa, how to better identify what you see, and how to best interact with other birders through things like Christmas Bird Counts. Birders provide the data that helps to inform public policy and the IOU partners with a number of organizations of interest to those who monitor and help protect our avian population. You can be a part of the action by participating in one or more community science projects.