Bird watching: AU students and staff revel in natural wonders that surround campus

Bird-watching can be described as the observation of live birds in their natural habitat. Peter Magosvongwe, a bird expert who resides in Vumba, assisted the trio of Dr. Clarence and Hope Abercrombie as well as Mr. Larry Kies in the introduction of bird watching at Africa University . The objective of introducing the activity on campus is to establish a birding project which would could develop into a positive and relaxing life-long hobby for students. The academic merit of cataloguing African bird species is an added reward of the activity. 

One of the inordinate appeals of bird-watching is that it is a relatively inexpensive exercise. Basic equipment needed includes binoculars, a field book to aid identification, and a notebook for recording time and place of sightings (if need be) and it is not obligatory to travel. Bird watching can help one to identify birds, learn their behavioral patterns or take photographs of the birds to make cards or for display. Some of the types of birds identified to date by faculty and  students who attended the introductory session were  Bishops, Passerines, African Fishing Eagle, Egyptian Goose, Whistling Duck and Storks.

The list of bird observations compiled by members of local bird-watching societies are very useful to scientists in determining diffusion, habitat, and migration patterns of the various species. Birds retort to people in many ways, depending on the species, location and time of the year.

Here are few tips if you want to take up bird watching yourself. 

Whether your particular interest is photography, ringing, sound-recording or bird watching, remember that the interests of the bird must always come first. One should avoid going too close to birds or disturbing their habitats, for instance, if a bird flies away or makes repeated alarm calls, it means that you are too close, and if it leaves, you will not get a good
view. 

If one follows all that is stated above, bird watching could be an amazing thing to do as you will be feeling the beauty of the nature surrounding you.