Birdwatching or
birding is the observation and
study of
birds. The term
birding is of
American origin; birdwatching is the more commonly used word
in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Most birders or birdwatchers pursue this
activity for recreational or social reasons, unlike
ornithologists, who are engaged in the formal
scientific study of birds. Ornithologists can, however,
study birds using the same methods as birders.
Birders at J "Ding" Darling reserve,
Sanibel, Florida.
Overview
The most active times of the year for birding in the
temperate zones are during spring and fall
migration when the greatest variety of birds may be
seen. These birds are travelling north or south to wintering
or nesting locations.
Early morning is typically the best time of the day for
birding since many birds are active searching for food, and
thus are easier to find and observe. Success in locating the
more interesting species typically requires detailed
knowledge of their appearance, sounds, behavior, and most
likely habitat, in addition to stealth and patience.
Birding can be one of the quieter and more relaxing
outdoor activities. However, birders who are keen
rarity-seekers will travel long distances to see a new
species to add to the list of birds they have personally
observed (life list, national list, state list, county list,
year list, etc.).
Seawatching is a type of birdwatching where observers
based at a coastal watchpoint (such as a headland) watch
birds flying over the sea.
Many birders take part in censuses of bird populations
and their migratory patterns which are sometimes specific to
individual species, and sometimes count all the birds in a
given area (as in a
Christmas Bird Count). This citizen science can assist in
identifying environmental threats to the well-being of birds
or, conversely, in assessing the outcomes of environmental
management initiatives intended to ensure the survival of
at-risk species or encourage the breeding of species for
aesthetic or ecological reasons. This more scientific side
of the hobby is an aspect of ornithology, co-ordinated in
the UK by the British Trust for Ornithology.
Increasing (seasonal) bird populations can be a good
indicator of biodiversity or the quality of different
habitats. Some species may be persecuted as vermin, often
illegally (e.g. the Hen Harrier in Britain), under the (usually false)
perception that predatory species increase in number at the
expense of other species of birds, insects, or smaller
mammals. In most cases, the reverse applies: the population
of predatory species is controlled by the abundance of the
prey species. Bird counts in defined geographic areas can
therefore be useful from a scientific perspective.
Rarity watching
"Twitching" is a British term used to mean "the pursuit
of a previously-located rare bird." In North America it is
more often called "chasing", though the British usage is
starting to catch on in North America, especially among
younger birders. The British term is said to come from the
frenzy that descends on some when they receive news of a
rare bird. The term may derive from one of its first
proponents, who used to arrive on his motorbike in freezing
weather in the early 1960s, still "twitching" from the cold.
The end goal of twitching is often to accumulate species on
one's lists. Some birders engage in competition with
one another to accumulate the biggest species lists. The act
of the pursuit itself is referred to as a "twitch" or a
"chase". A rare bird that stays put long enough for people
to see it is called "twitchable" or "chaseable".
Twitching is probably most highly developed in the United
Kingdom,
The Netherlands and Ireland because their small sizes make
it possible to travel within their borders quickly with
relative ease. The most popular twitches in the UK have
drawn crowds of up to 5,000 people at any one time
(Golden-Winged Warbler in Kent). Twitching is also highly
popular in Finland and Sweden. In the United Kingdom there
exists a particular twitchers' vocabulary which is
surprisingly well-developed and potentially confusing for
the uninitiated. In the UK for example, "dipping" is the act
of missing the rare bird you tried to see, "gripped off" is
how you feel if other twitchers see the bird but you didn't,
"supression" is the act of concealing news of a rare bird
from twitchers, and a "dude" is someone who doesn't know
much about rare birds. Similar vocabularies have developed
in all countries where twitching is popular. Twitchers often
have mobile phones and (especially in Europe) pagers to keep
constantly informed of rare bird sightings and weather. The
latter is important, since the right winds can lead to drift
migration from the east or "Yankees" caught up in
the tail end of hurricanes from the west.
Birding competitions
A North American one-day birding competition is called a
"Big Day"; in Britain it is called a "Bird Race". Teams
trying to win such competitions usually have twenty-four
hours in a designated geographical area to do so. They
commonly drive hundreds of kilometers. Some record-chasers
have employed private jets and helicopters in the
enterprise.
The most popular birding competitions in the United
States are the one-day World Series of Birding which is held
in New Jersey in May and the five-day Great Texas Birding
Classic held in April.
Equipment
Equipment commonly used for birding includes binoculars
and a telescope or spotting scope with tripod, a notepad,
and one or more field guides.
Photography
Photography has always been a part of birding, but in the
past the cost of good cameras and long lenses made this a
minority, often semi-professional, interest. The advent of
affordable digital cameras, which can be used in conjunction
with binoculars or a telescope (a technique known as
digiscoping), have made this a much more widespread
aspect of the hobby.
Birding organizations
Prominent national organizations concerned with birding
include the
B.T.O. and RSPB in the United Kingdom (over 1 million
members), and the National Audubon Society and American
Birding Association in the United States. Many statewide or
local Audubon organizations are also quite active in the
U.S. BirdLife International is an important global alliance
of bird conservation organisations.
Socio-psychology of birdwatching
It has been suggested that birdwatching is a form of
expression of the innate need for human connection to the
environment. Ethologist Nikolaas Tinbergen considered
birdwatching an expression of the male hunting instinct.
Indeed, most birders (especially those below middle-age) are
male; however, one of the top world listers was a woman,
Phoebe Snetsinger. The idea of birding as a completely
male-oriented activity is not accurate, though twitching in
the UK is heavily male dominated.
Another intriguing connection has been that of the
interest in birds by spies. There have been several cases of
spies who were serious ornithologists such as Sidney Dillon
Ripley, St. John Philby and Richard Meinertzhagen.
Birding vs. birdwatching
In the U.S., birders differentiate themselves from
birdwatchers. At the most basic level, the (possibly
elitist) distinction is one of dedication or intensity.
Generally, self-described birders are more versed in
minutiae such as molt, distribution, migration timing, and
habitat usage. Whereas dedicated birders may travel
widely, bird watchers have a more limited scope,
perhaps to their own yards.[1]
Famous birders/ornithologists
Famous for birding/ornithology
- Kenn Kaufman
Ted Parker
Roger Tory Peterson
Pete Dunne
Jon Dunn
Clay Sutton
Phoebe Snetsinger
David Allen Sibley
John James Audubon
Salim Ali
Induchoodan
Susanth
Otherwise famous
- Members of the band British Sea Power
Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke
Sir Anthony Galsworthy, former UK Ambassador to China
Kenneth Clarke MP
Ian Fleming, who named his most famous character after
the ornithologist James Bond
Billy Fury
Trevor Harrison
Princess Takamado of Japan
Eric Morecambe
Bill Oddie
Harold Wilson, former Prime Minister of the United
Kingdom
Jimmy Carter
Charley Harper
Iolo Williams
Sir Kenneth Dover, famous British classicist
Birders in fiction
-
Stephen Maturin in the
Patrick O'Brian's
Aubrey–Maturin series
See also
External links
References
- ^
Dunne, Pete (2003). Pete Dunne on Bird Watching.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
ISBN 0-395-90686-5.
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