Fifty or sixty years ago some pioneering ecologists reported that species diversity for any particular place was positively correlated with habitat diversity. To put it another way: since the various bird species use a habitat in very specific ways, it stands to reason that the more complex habitats will support the greatest number of species. In a practical sense, this means that Ponderosa Pine forests which tend to grow pine trees and little else are not very good places to go if you want to see a wide variety of bird species. On the other hand, desert riparian systems - that is, areas along streams and rivers - grow a wide variety of tress, shrubs and grasses and, therefore, support of rich diversity of bird species. This is why many birding magazines encourage you to install a pond in your backyard and to plant lots of flowers and shrubs. If you want a wonderful historical perspective on this, read about Charles Darwin and his finches on the Galapagos Islands. It's all about species diversity and community diversity. Once you understand it, you can smack yourself on the forehead and say "Oh, of course it works that way; isn't it obvious?" I had an ecology professor tells us that "Ecology is arduous study of the embarrassingly simple and obvious." And, so, it is a simple rule that more bird species will be found in a more complex habitat.

I live in the Arizona desert. When I go out to find new birding places close to home, I generally look for lines of green on the landscape because that indicates lots of vegetation which suggests a fairly rich bird community.

However, recently I spent several months in Massachusetts where water is so common that it doesn't mean much as an indicator. I recalled a bit of my old ecology education and concentrated on "edge" habitats. An example of an edge is the interface between a woods and a field. Such an area is more diverse than either the woods or the field and I found a wide variety of birds in such places. Perhaps the most diverse habitats in the world are found in the tropics where bird diversity approaches legend.

Habitat diversity is an ecological dimension of bird observation. There is another that I could call "political". There are a great number of places set aside as wildlife preserves and many of these are simply fabulous birding areas. I direct you to local resources for a list of great spots. Be creative when you look for set-aside areas for bird watching. For example a prime place place in metropolitan Phoenix is the Desert Botanical Garden. True, it is a botanical area but, because it is protected and because it supports such a huge (albeit artificial) variety of plants, it also is the home for a wonderful variety of birds. Do not limit yourself to places that have the word "bird" in them. Think outside the (nest)box.

There are many lists of birding "hot spots". For example there is The Top 200 Spots . However, if tomorrow is going to be a nice day, you will want to go local and you just have to know your own area. Of course, your best bet for a ready-made set of local hot-spots will be found through your local Audubon Society and they ought to be consulted if you are a beginner. However, you might be just as happy with the woods at the end of your street or just a mile away. In a short time you will develop your own group of favorite birding spots.