SENECA FALLS - While many enthusiasts use binoculars to identify birds in the wild, the ears can be just as useful.

The Montezuma Book Club discussed this and more as it inspected Donald Kroodsma's book “The Singing Life of Birds: The Art and Science of Listening to Birdsong” Saturday at the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge.

“It's like having old friends back. I enjoy the company of other people sharing the knowledge of reading and what others know about the topic,” said Pat Sanderson, a Montezuma Wildlife Refuge volunteer and one of three co-leaders of the book club.

Thirteen people from Auburn, Union Springs, Rochester and Geneva attended the event. Those attending shared their interests in birding and their experiences with attempting to identify bird sounds.

“It is open to anyone that wants to come. There is no regular membership,” said Andrea VanBeusichem, visitor service manager at the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge.

VanBeusichem started the club with volunteers at the refuge three years ago. “We wanted to have something for people to do that would be fun and entertaining but also informative,” she said.

Typically the club gets together during winter on the last Saturday of the month to discuss the chosen book and the connection it may have to the area.

In the fall the Montezuma Book Club gets together to discuss their interests and the books they want to read. Then they vote to decide.

This winter the club has read “The Great Lakes Water Wars,” “An Inconvenient Truth,” “The Grail Bird” and for March “The Plague of Frogs.”

While preparing to lead a discussion for “The Great Lakes Water Wars,” VanBeusichem learned that in Avon there was issues with who has claims to community water. “It was happening right up the road,” VanBeusichem said.

“The Singing Life of Birds” follows the journey of Kroodsma who has had an interest in birds throughout his life.

The book enables readers to learn about birds particularly how to identify them based on their song through sonograms, charts and graphs.

A common misconception is that birds only have one song when in actuality they have several. The book comes with a CD of bird songs.

Kroodsma retired from Cornell University and has since wrote his book which he is currently promoting.

VanBeusichem wanted to have the event at the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge for people to see the birds they have been reading about.

“When it comes to birds a lot of times you can hear them but you can't see them. People want to know what they are looking at. This let's people see what they hear and connect to it more,” VanBeusichem said.

The club sat in the visitor center where they were able to see stuffed birds Adult Bald Eagle, Canada Goose, Common Goldeneye and a Red-Tailed Hawk.

The Montezuma Wildlife Refuge has a rich bird history. The Refuge was established in 1938 as a breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. The refuge provides resting, feeding and a nesting habitat for Waterfowl and other migratory birds.

The National Audubon Society recognized the Montezuma Wetlands Complex as it's first important bird area in New York as well as globally.

The Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge is open April through October.

For more information on the book club, visit friendsofmontezuma.org or fws.gov/r5mnwr.