Why birdwatching is so popular? (1 Viewer)

[LucaPCP]

I am intrigued. I love nature, always have, but I am not a birdwatcher.
Indeed, if I had to choose, I would probably more interested in insects than birds.

And hence my question: what is it that makes birdwatching so popular?
I understand the love of nature. But why not, say, insect-watching, or mammalian-watching? What is it that makes birds so attractive, so that the number of bird-watchers greatly outnumbers (in my experience at least) those of other animal-watchers?

Is it that birds are so varied, and readily available? (It's not easy to be a mole-watcher, or a mountain-goat watcher, for instance). Is it the fact that even by staying in a single place (a corner of the woods, for instance), the year-round variety of birds is so much greater than that of, say, mammalians? Is it that people relate more to birds than, say, insects? What is it?

I apologize for the seemingly naive question... but I would be quite interested in your perspective.

Luca

 

[Reuven_M]

Personally, because birds are everywhere at every time of year. I enjoy looking for herps and insects, perhaps even more than birds, but that is fairly difficult in the city, and impossible in the winter.

 

[fugl]

Because bird watching in many ways is a "perfect storm". Birds are big enough for humans to see clearly with the unaided eye or through highly portable optics; there are fair numbers of species in most places, but not so many as to be overwhelming (cf. insects); they're ubiquitous & easily observed all year round (cf. insects again & herps); & unlike mammals, say, they're mostly diurnal. They're also--like us-- visual creatures with brains & eyes capable of appreciating & the beautiful & intricately patterned plumages many of them sport & which humans also find attractive & interesting. And as a side effect of all this & as a bonus, birds are relatively easy to ID as to species, certainly compared to herps or mammals. Finally, there's their behavior. Birds are relatively intelligent creatures--anyone who's watched scrub-jays or other corvids can attest to that--& their behavior is correspondingly complex & fun to watch.

 

[Euan Buchan]

To me I think it's because birds are everywhere even when you are not Birdwatching you can garantee you will see one outside your window. I too like all parts of Wildlife when I was younger I was really into Ladybirds and would go around in the garden with a bug jar and scoop them in and study them until I was ready to let them go I even had my first proper encounter with a Otter this summer which was special.

 

[dalat]

Is it that birds are so varied, and readily available? (It's not easy to be a mole-watcher, or a mountain-goat watcher, for instance). Is it the fact that even by staying in a single place (a corner of the woods, for instance), the year-round variety of birds is so much greater than that of, say, mammalians? Is it that people relate more to birds than, say, insects?

You pretty much summed up the main reasons I think.

 

[erisian.pope]

For me birds also present a certain amount of mystique and fascination; more so than many mammals and definitely more so than insects. They fly, which is really cool. I think as a group, people probably envy flight more than any other single characteristic from other animals. At least for me, this immediately adds allure - I am already fascinated by birds categorically, so I start to pay attention to individuals and species.

I think snakes are pretty cool too, and spiders, but less so than birds. Well, ok, flying snakes are fairly awesome.

 

[Mysticete]

I think most people have already stated most of the reasons, although I would add in their is also the allure of rarity. There are a lot of rare herps and mammals, but they tend to be difficult to find. A lot of rare birds on the local level are vagrants and strays, which might be rare but are still easy to see once found.

FYI, I would say there is actually quite a few herpers, at least here in the states. They just don't tend to move in the same circles as birders or frequent the same environments. And the number of people expanding into butterflies, dragonflies, and mammals is growing, in part because of birders looking for new challenges.

 

[LucaPCP]

Thank you, very insightful... I love hiking, and I am always surprised at how many birdwatchers I come across compared to other animal-watchers, but your explanations make a lot of sense.
I used to be more dedicated and expert about insects, but now I live in California, and insects here are quite widely represented in variety, but less numerous, and often present in a very seasonal pattern...

On the other hand, I often go to the Italian seaside (I am originally from Italy), and there are lots of seagulls there. I am completely fascinated by their vocalizations and their complex communications (they wake me up around 5am, but I don't mind that a bit). Next time I go I will try to record some of the most remarkable patterns.

 

[christineredgate]

The intelligence of the Swallow chicks who fly all the way to Africa from the UK,make for birds to be very special.

 

[Adam W]

I wonder if the variety has a lot to do with it and might also explain why birding is especially popular in the UK,we have a pretty poor selection of mamals and insects(at least the ones most people seem to be into,Butterflies and Dragonflies) for example you'd probably do well to ever see say 40 or 50 species of Butterfly but you could see 10times that amount of birds.
That said we have hundreds of moths but they seem such a nightmare to ID that a lot of people struggle to get into it really where as most birds arent really that difficult in comparison.

 

[Himalaya]

I once would have preferred Mammals over Birds, Bird of Prey over Passerines, Birds over Insects but now I see them all as equal. I do not go insect watching as that migt be quite a task as insects are mainly small. Mammals tend to be more elusive. I will not always see a mammal if I go out into the "natural areas" but birds I will see. There are more birds than mammals. They can fly so they dont have to let you see them at all so it is not always easy.

Birds visit gardens more. There are many different varieties that visit gardens. Birds sing and make distinctive noises so they draw attention.

 

[LabradorDuck]

I'm always on the lookout for everything when I go outside, but I have developed a particular affinity for birds over the years. When I was younger, I ignored most of them and mainly looked at insects and large mammals (as well as reptiles, though I saw few). Somewhere along the way I started noticing birds, and the more I saw and read, the more interested I got. Now I keep a life list online for birds, but only a vague list in my head for species of other things ("Oh yeah, I saw one of those when _______"). I suppose I might get into such lists more if there were more established communities, so the popularity of birding feeds itself to some degree.

I agree with the "perfect storm" comment. Birds tend to be fairly "charismatic," and many species are highly visible, so people are familiar with certain species even before they get interested. Some are challenging to identify, but many are easy once one has a good guide, so one can get off to a satisfying start. It's also a year-round thing; in the winter temperate latitudes see most insects, herps, and small mammals disappear through hibernation or migration, but birds just change shifts. This all works together to allow for a slow and easy descent into this madness we call a hobby.

 

[Steve Babbs]

I think one of the main reason birding is so popular in the UK is the relative paucity of over 'glamorous' wildlife. Personally I'm probably more into mammals these days but the UK ain't great for them, so this tends to be mainly done on foreign trips. If you're into herps, well basically the UK is crap.

 

[Monahawk]

Birds are around us all year and are easy to take notice of. There is much info floating about on them so it is easy to find out about them. Birdwatching is certainly popular, but not everywhere. Many nations and cultures think that watching birds as a hobby a tad strange to say the least. Perhaps we should ask ourselves why certain nations and regions like Britain, USA and Scandanavia get so much enjoyment out of watching birds than others?

Si.

 

[JTweedie]

There's not much to add, but for me birding also provided a gateway into studying other animal groups, and recently I've also started taking an interest in plants as well, starting with trees, but now trying to identify flowers as well. I guess many people will have area that they started in and feel more comfortable with, but can also really appreciate others as well.

I also enjoy going hillwalking, and I'm always on the lookout for birds, but always feel really thrilled if I see a stoat or a Roe Deer, or a butterfly, the more so if I'm able to identify what it is.

I'm always impressed and feel really privileged that birds especially are happy to share their almost immediate space with me. In my neighbourhood, the local Carrion Crows have been becoming bolder and bolder over the past few years, now you can walk past within touching distance and they don't feel disturbed - I just think it's a marvel that these wild creatures can adapt so well to living so close to us.

Even if you go to your local duck pond where the ducks and swans take food directly from people's hands, you sometimes need to step back for a moment and appreciate that these are wild animals who have come to trust us as a source of food, and that they're not pets. It's a really good way to introduce children to wildlife as well, having the children interacting with the birds in some way.

Some mammals also become habituated to us, but it's not as commonplace as with birds, and I think that affinity with them is another reason that many people enjoy birds and birding.

I expect most people who count themselves as "birders" don't go and feed the ducks anymore, but they may have started off doing this when they were children, and they should still be able to appreciate the link between us and the birds.

 

[dalat]

On the other hand, I often go to the Italian seaside (I am originally from Italy), and there are lots of seagulls there. I am completely fascinated by their vocalizations and their complex communications (they wake me up around 5am, but I don't mind that a bit). Next time I go I will try to record some of the most remarkable patterns.

Better do not start your birdwatching with gulls. You may prefer going back to molewatching then...

 

[xxSarahRodxx]

Hi There

For me it is a mix of things... Getting out in the fresh air <refreshing change from meetings etc> Stress free beautiful places to walk quietly <with two small children it's amazing how loud life can be!> and photography too <finding something beautiful to take a picture of.

I too think wildlife in general is fantastic have recently got into birding but most people I have spoke to are not just there for birds but all these things.

Loving ever minute at the moment and trying to get out and enjoy my surroundings whenever possible!

Hope that helps
Sarah x

 

[hinnark]

Birds are around us all year and are easy to take notice of. There is much info floating about on them so it is easy to find out about them. Birdwatching is certainly popular, but not everywhere. Many nations and cultures think that watching birds as a hobby a tad strange to say the least. Perhaps we should ask ourselves why certain nations and regions like Britain, USA and Scandanavia get so much enjoyment out of watching birds than others?
Si.

I think one can say birdwatching is most popular in highly industrialized countries. Despite of all the wealth, people are missing something natural. If we look out of a window nature comes by itself into our gardens and balconies in the shape of birds. They are cute, colourful and they can fly. Hard to be not fascinated by them. Though I have to say I'm fasctinated by butterflies, dragonflies and bumblebees as well. They are also cute, colourful and they can fly but in many cases much harder to identify.

Steve

 

[Rags]

I love and find all wildlife interesting, but birds always come out on top for me because they can glide and fly with such beauty and I can't and they have such wondrous colour filled feathers which on a good day you can pick up and collect and they leave such interesting things to look at and research, egg shells, nests, pellets... lets face it they're just a true pleasure to study in all forms and ways.

 

[feathersfeeder]

I think we love what we see, birds, foxes, hedgehogs, frogs, ladybirds, butterflies and moths in the garden we like to find out more about them. However when in the highlands the Golden eagle and Red Deer have the same awesome appeal.