Requirement
5. Observe and identify 20 wild species, in a field notebook
Required Often forgotten
A separate entry for each: date and time, location and habitat, feeding habitat and two foods, and migrant or resident.
Notes and warnings
Deadline. This is the part that takes time. Each of the 20 species needs its own entry from your own observation, and requirement 7 needs five of the same 20 again by ear. Keep the notebook going from the start.
Tip. Start the field notebook for requirement 5 on day one. Twenty species take weeks of watching, and the birds you can find change with the seasons; spring and autumn migration bring the most variety.
Where this step comes from
- Bird Study Merit Badge Requirements (Merit Badge Hub, last modified 2025-12-31), Requirement 5 · Lists the four things to record for each species, (a) to (d).