Why bird?
To bird – a verb, meaning to look for birds.
Birding, formerly referred to as birdwatching, is a great hobby. Why do people do it?
First of all, why do anything? You could just lay on the couch and watch television all the time. But most people need to do something more than just work and sleep and eat in order to make their life fun and interesting. That is why we have sports and hobbies. So which one to chose?
Cost
Most sports and hobbies involve a fair amount of money to get involved. Golf is a popular sport but can get to be very expensive. To get starting in birding, you need a guide book to identify the birds that you see (about $25) and a pair of binoculars. Binoculars can range from $50 and up to $1000 but you can get a very good pair for about $250 or less. You may be able to find a used pair for much less. You might even have an old pair around the house that nobody has used in years. Lower quality binoculars are very cheap and will be good enough to get you started. If you enjoy the hobby, you can buy a better pair later. I recommend the 8 x 42 size. If you want information about binoculars, click on them in the category box on the right.
Exercise and Nature
Once you have your guide book and your binoculars, you simply walk around looking for birds. You can start in your own backyard and around your neighbourhood. Later, go to city parks, and then to nearby country parks. Walking is good excise and looking for birds is fun. Even if you don’t see any new birds, it is enjoyable just to go for a walk and enjoy the scenery and the fresh air. You don’t need to buy or rent equipment each time. As a bonus, it is a pleasurable way to get some much needed exercise.
You can do it anywhere
Birding gets you out of the house and gives you a fun hobby. But you can even do it from your kitchen window on a rainy day or days when you are ill or just not feeling up to going out. Put out a feeder to attract birds, especially during winter. You can look for birds on your way to the supermarket. Even on a business trip. Every outing can be a birdwatching trip.
Make a list
Make a list of the birds that you have seen. You can keep track of them in a book, on your computer or on line. There is a website called ebird that is great for keeping track of your sightings. There are many different ways to keep lists. Many birders keep a life list of every bird you have seen, an annual list, a local patch list and country lists. You don’t have to keep a bunch of different lists if you don’t want to. Just one life list will do. With ebird you only have to enter the birds once and you can retrieve the information by country, year or other methods.
The Challenge
After you have seen all the birds in your neighbourhood, you will want to go a little further to find new birds. It gets to be a challenge to always find one more new bird that you have not seen before. You can compete with others but mostly you simply challenge yourself to always find new birds. The challenge can be addictive and it will become a big thrill to find a new one. It is the thrill of the hunt and the challenge to get a good score, all in one sport with no need to spend a lot of money and no animal gets harmed. Even after years of birding, you still get a thrill every time you find a new one. Sometimes a huge thrill when a rare bird pops up in your area that is not normally seen there. At first every bird is new and that is a lot of fun. When new birds get scarce and the challenge of adding a new bird to your list gets greater, finding one is more satisfying than ever.
Travel
Travelling to new locations will get your some new sightings. Some people make special trips just to find birds, but you can combine it with your normal vacations. Birds are everywhere but different locations will result in different birds.
Other critters
While looking for birds, you will see lots of other things such as butterflies, reptiles, mammals, ladybugs and lots more.
New friends
You will meet other birdwatchers and make new friends. There might be a birders or naturalist club in your area.
Seasons
You can bird all year round. Depending on where you live, there might be a lot more birds in the summer than winter, but there will always be some birds to find all year round. Unlike some sports and hobbies that you can only do during one season of the year.
Add a camera
Many people take a camera as well as binoculars and try to get photos of the birds they see. If you like photography, this is great fun. However, you don’t have to have a camera to enjoy this hobby.
If you think this is just a hobby for a few strange people; guess again. There are almost 90 million birde
rs of all ages in the United States alone and millions more in other countries. You can have a hobby that will last you a lifetime for the cost of a few games of golf or bowling. This is one of the few hobbies that children and their grandparents can do together.
So why bird? For all the above reasons, but simply because it is fun, challenging, and good exercise. Get out there and start your list today.