A birdwatching break is a good way to reduce stress and have fun in the fresh air while boosting your observation skills.

You don't have to be an obsessive twitcher or ornithologist to appreciate sighting the birds and the sounds they make.

The UK charity, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has information about different species and where you can find them. If you want to know more about birds, their habits and habitats before you go, the Fat Birder and Surf Birds websites are also useful resources.

If you're thinking of taking a birdwatching holiday, you will need to consider carefully where to go and the best time of year to go in terms of migration and breeding, for example.

Limosa Holidays offers birdwatching holidays at a variety of destinations.

If central and eastern Europe appeals, Wild Wings has a tour to the Polish Bird Festival and Ornitholidays goes to Estonia.

Many locations are well equipped with web cams, providing a fun day out for all the family.

For a day trip, visit the Parc des Oiseaux bird sanctuary, which covers 380 hectares in the Dombes region of France, or the London Wetland Centre in the UK.

You probably have a rough idea where in the world you want to go, but do you want to combine birdwatching with other activities?

Birdwatching is just one component of a Travelling Naturalist wildlife tour. Footprint Adventures has a 'tigers & birds' trip to India. And Avian Adventures has photographic birdwatching tours.

If you want to combine birdwatching with conservation, Earthwatch has a programme to protect forest birds in Ecuador.

Simply looking for an ethical trip? Try responsibletravel.com, which has a seven-night break in Andalucia, Spain.