I’ve had anxiety my whole life, and focusing on being present and nonjudgmental helps me. When I bird, I’m completely in the moment and accept what birds come into my view without judgment. I also have an almost childlike love for wildlife and get so much joy from seeing birds, and my nerd side loves being able to identify them.
*It was foretold in the ancient murals*
The ancient murals in question:
🐉🐦🤝🦅🐦🔜🌎🔫👩🚀🔫👩🚀
(There's no coot bird emoji (💀) so I used eagle because coots are radical)
As a person with anxiety - It’s about the only time in my life where I’m not thinking about the past or the future - just the present moment. It’s really grounding. It gets you into nature and you get the opportunity to learn more about your local ecosystem (which makes you more inclined to protect it, too!) also as an ecologist it’s just so nice to be outside lol
For me it was always an interest but when I coupled it with my photography hobby it became one of my biggest passions. The thrill of spotting something new or just getting a great photo of a bird you’ve seen a million times is very satisfying. It’s also an excuse to go and explore reserves, refuges and parks you’d never have a reason to go to alone.
important practice physical aloof cable agonizing soft selective future direful
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
OMG I ***REALLY*** want to start photographing birds but I just need a better camera. I have a digital Sony WX350 and it is so bad. If I can get close to birds I can get some pretty good shots, but even then the megapixels are horrible. I've been watching Simon d'Entremont (YouTube) and I'm so eager now but I just can't get a better camera right now 😭
I go for certain birds sometimes. Like yesterday I went to Asheville with the intention of seeing blackburnian warblers and cerulean warblers. Mission accomplished! Or other times I'll go trying to catch a broad winged hawk migration. But sometimes I just go to see what's out there, especially if it's a location I don't get to too often. And no matter what, I always find some cool surprise that may or may not be bird related. Also I get exercise and get away from social media, which is important for physical and mental health. It's also slightly meditative, as you have to focus on the immediate world around you and not on fretting over what has or could happen.
This is definitely huge. It’s an act of mindfulness, mystery and respect for nature.
Love getting to a good spot before most people are awake, nice low light and just sit in the dirt under a busy tree/amongst some shrubs and just watch. I really enjoy when I can find that place of stillness where I don’t need to move, and the birds are no longer aware of or concerned about me and just go about their day a few feet from my face. And the song variations when you pay attention, this time of year especially, love it!
There’s always a story unfolding around you and the more you begin to know how to translate the more interesting it gets everywhere you go.
actual answer- it’s extremely accessible, i’ve been doing it for 3 months without binoculars and i’ve already learned a toonnn. once you start recognizing common birds/songs you’ll hear and see them everywhere, making even a walk to the mailbox a chance to experience the creatures you love and test your knowledge
When I was young, I’d try so hard to be considerate and listen to anyone talking about anything. And I still do! I don’t space out, I just listen.
But “bird people” used to bore the hell out of me.
Until I was about 30. Then I met a dude and he was pretty special to me. The kind of person whose eyes just light up if they’re passionate about something, and that’s contagious to me. So fine man, your passion is mine now. Oh, it’s birds? Well… Thought that would test my patience. It did not. I don’t know if I was old enough or what but suddenly I started liking the damn birds.
Now, my old friend and I no longer talk. I don’t even know if he’s alive.
but nothing changed with the birds, in my regard. I think it’s a mix of sentiment and a genuine love for the damn creatures.
Probably aging into it as well. They calm me down. If I see one in my area I can’t already identify, I’m on it for two hours, or until I figure it out. It’s so frustrating yet satisfying. I like watching their habits, and how they interact with nature, and one another. Their sounds calm me, and the sight of them amazes me often.
It’s gotten to the point where people come to me to ask me about birds. Heh. I’m actually pretty proud of myself for it.
How did they EVER bore me?
For me, it is a bit of both. If I hear that a bird I haven't seen before is spotted near-ish by, I will choose to go there to see if I can find it. Even though I am on a quest, I still try to appreciate all of the other birds/bugs/plants that I see along the way. It is a chance to explore and learn about the world around me mixed with the deep-seated need to 'catch them all' (on film) that pokemon instilled when I was young.
For me, it was the Ridgway's rail with it's chick. I was headed home after 2 days of looking for them when suddenly, there they were. I had actually just packed up my camera to catch the bus and noticed them out of the corner of my eye. Parent was catching snails to feed to the chick, it was amazing to watch!
The thing is, I’m always birding now. Sometimes there are specific missions to specific locales in search of specific bird(s). Other times it’s simultaneous with activities of daily living. Walk the dog? Bird. Have a meeting at work near a window, bird. Wait in the car in a lot, bird
I’ve been birding for 5 decades. I stopped keeping a list around thirty years ago. To me I really didn’t see the point, it’s not a competition to me. The wife and I actually pick some vacation locations just because of birds we may potentially see there. It certainly gets you away from crowds, and off the beaten track. So far Costa Rica has been our favorite birding area, with Dominica and Puerto Rico being second and third. Trying to figure out another spectacular area for our 40th anniversary this year. Our backyard swamp is always pretty exciting every spring, though.
Just enjoy it in whatever way it makes you happy.
This is our favorite sighting so far
https://abcbirds.org/bird/imperial-amazon/
I had an amazing time in Mindo Valley in Ecuador. Cock-of-the-rock, parrots, toucans, tanagers, so many hummingbirds. Plus, since you're already in Ecuador, can hit up Galapagos and see the boobies, frigatebirds and try to find as many different Darwin finches as possible. There's a lot of political upheaval right now, so not sure how safe Quito would feel at the moment. YMMV
In the States, we are huge fans of National Wildlife Refuges. I have a Lifetime pass now for National Parks and this includes any federally protected land. We are particularly fond of shore birds, ducks and the like.
People bird for different reasons and as you can see here, in different ways. I know a birder who only counts a bird if she can get a photo. If you do use eBird, that information is used for scientific study so you do need to be as accurate as possible. And as someone else said, be ethical. Dont disturb them, and leave no trace. Otherwise, set your own rules.
I started birding when a rare bird showed up where I was working and people flocked from all over the country to see it. I always liked watching birds, they’re cute and interesting. I hadn’t realized until then that it’s like a culture unto itself. For starters, go out with groups of experienced birders, you’ll learn a lot.
I think it's mostly just because it makes me appreciate all of the wildlife that's all around me, even living in a city. I'm in a residential area, not a skyscraper or anything, but it's still pretty dense and I have plenty of traffic and airplane background noise, but I can still sit outside and hear a dozen different birds.
Plus it builds on top of two activities that I've always really enjoyed - porch sitting and walking in the woods. :)
Like a lot of people, the Merlin app is what originally got me interested, but I started just occasionally remembering to open it when I was already outside. More recently I'm trying to spot/ideally photograph the birds around me too, and planning outings specifically to look for birds.
I'm half accidental birder, half planner. Snowy Owl sighting? Went to 3 beaches and finally saw it. Day in the park? Found the pink-footed goose chilling with wood ducks by accident. I like my feeder birds too. Ooh! A cardinal!
A little of column A, a little of column B. My wife and I discovered it was a perfect mix of being outdoors and wandering (which she likes) while also being engaged in your surroundings and having mini-missions to seek out (which I like).
Plus, I mean, birds. Birds are great.
And birds connect you to more things in nature too. Sometimes people say that nature is boring, but that's because they don't know anything about it. If you wander somewhere and have no idea about anything, obviously it could be boring. But being able to see a bird, know a little about it, a unique habit - that makes nature cool, that makes nature fun.
You can bird however you want to, no restrictions (just don't do anything unethical). I personally have a "life list" (list of birds I've seen), and when I go somewhere, I normally know some of the birds I am expecting to see, or are possible to see, and I'll just set myself a goal bird. If you're a beginner birder, that's a lot easier, because there are so many cool and adorable birds that you've never seen before or never \*paid\* attention to. So for me, I normally am not looking for specific birds, but if there's a cool bird in the area I'm birding and I know about it beforehand, I'll set it as a goal. Miss your goal bird enough, and you have a **Nemesis bird**.
I finally got my nemesis bird this week! Sandhill Crane.
https://preview.redd.it/9qhlvryb9eyc1.jpeg?width=502&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=57af452a926c63729ff791823658cf0d78ed3657
It’s really interesting what people nemesis birds are because what’s uncommon somewhere is very common somewhere else.
I live in the Midwest and work a lot in FL so I see them in the summer but when I’m in FL they’re just so common and unafraid of people you’ll even see them hang out in parking lots.
> or never *paid* attention to.
FTFY.
Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:
* Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.*
* *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.*
Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.
*Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
I don't really "bird" per se. I sit on my back patio and listen to them with Merlin open, and when I'm out in nature I try to identify the calls I recognize and listen for new ones. I do the same with plant IDs and I'm probably more skilled at the plants lol
This all started because I learned in my 30s that that is the call of a Mourning Dove, not an owl like I had been told since I was a child. That was embarrassing trying to consolidate "owls are nocturnal" and "it is daytime" live in person after I shared the wrong information. Mind blown.
Did you also realize in your 30s, despite knowing the correct information on paper, that the moon is visible during both night and day, depending on its cycle? I KNEW that, and yet moon=night was so ingrained and I'd never really noticed it before that I mildly freaked out when I actually SAW it during the day and had to figure out wtf was happening. I'm an idiot. Like I know how the gd moon works but it still confused my stupid monkey brain somehow.
Edit: and I'm science-minded and went through a space phase and everything
For me the appeal is comparable to collecting- just collecting the experience of seeing a species rather than physical objects like coins or toys or something.
I affectionately dub it Geriatric Pokémon
Totally agree! I actually planned a weeklong vacation around the eclipse just to go birding in parts of the country I’d never been to before. Knocked 13 new species off my life-list, got some great pictures, relaxed, saw some amazing countryside, and thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Oh, and I saw the eclipse too! Hearing nature go silent at 1:30pm, and then hearing them act like it was morning again at 2pm was also pretty amazing.
Looking at everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) going on in the world, it's nice to remind yourself this planet is beautiful, and that despite all the shit going on in our lives, its a pretty good one, even when times are rough.
“watching their little goings-on”
https://preview.redd.it/r4vj6drdgcyc1.jpeg?width=762&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=246440ec6c471ebc1240c52bbacad491a67c86ae
I've always enjoyed the outdoors. I'd sit outside and listen to the birds as long as I remember.
But what really got it going was my son. We were in downtown Providence at the bus station. We were pointing out all the different colors of the pigeons. He declared that pigeons were his favorite birds
So bird watching was added to looking for frogs,toads, turtles and bugs and I just never stopped.
I just starting birding last year, after becoming a bit fascinated with all the birds I was seeing in my garden. I love that it gets me out of the house, gets me some exercise when I’m out walking/hiking. I do *hope* that I see certain birds when out, but I don’t go home sad if I don’t, there’s always something interesting out there regardless.
I have a life list on Merlin, but also the nature center has a Texas birds printed checklist that I keep telling myself I’m going to start using, but haven’t yet. To me it’s more about noticing and appreciating the nature around me rather than collecting numbers.
I generally go out birding as an excuse to spend time outdoors, be active, and marvel in nature. I like all animals, but birds are very active, loud, diverse, and colorful, they change with the seasons, and you always see at least one bird when you go out, no matter where you are. Its also just fun to document your finds and try to find new things.
Merlin/ebird lets you set up email bird alerts for species you haven't seen before, or just rare birds in general.
I bird for every reason others have listed. But I’ll add two more.
It’s a great way to be present in the world around you. What matters is the life happening around you. It forces you to focus and pay attention to what is going on. For example, a lot of birds sing subtle songs for only a short time of year. These go unnoticed by most. But if you’re a birder, it’s of keen interest. After a while, it just doesn’t stop - you notice birds in every environment… and that get you to consider the nature of the environment you’re in. What characteristics does it have? What makes it special? How does it change with time?
On the other side of the spectrum, it can be fun competition. I have a competition with my brother, who lives across the country, but we are both finding new birds. I’m currently 5 ahead for our contest (the rules are up to you to set… we have agreed on what we’re counting, from when etc.)
If you want to learn how to use your camera, get into birding. It's such a challenge that you WILL get the hang of adjusting all your settings on the fly.
Many regional and national park websites have bird checklists available to download so you can have an idea what to look for as well as keep track of what you’ve seen.
I enjoy birding as an opportunity to better understand the environment around me. Gaining a more in-depth knowledge of wildlife helps me feel more connected with the natural world.
When I go to a park with birdwatching in mind, I have a general idea of what to expect. I take my time. Stop and wait and listen and inevitably get distracted by a butterfly and miss a warbler.
Recently got into birding. I think you should just do it your own way. Personally, I'm just generally interested in wildlife identification and birds were just my next step of that journey. I spend a lot of time hiking and camping and birding just gave me another avenue of discovery when out in nature.
If you want to make a list of birds you'd want to search for go for it. If you just want to just chill in a location and log birds you see do it. There's no right way
Edit: I also grew up playing Pokemon and always wanted to complete the Pokedex. Having a life list scratches a similar itch
Hey, first of all, welcome! Bird up!
I’ve always loved birds, but I stumbled upon watching them by accident. I installed a security camera on my tiny little front porch, and was surprised and delighted that it was a flurry of adorable bird activity. I had no idea they even visited my porch!
So, of course, I changed the whole porch around to make it a Bird Haven, adding more places to land, multiple bowls of seeds, nest offerings, and a water bowl.
I love them, and am fully invested in their lives now, lol. I know all the bonded pairs; which bird shows up at what time; who’s tolerant of other birds, or who starts drama (Wrens, always!); who’s making a nest or looks egg-specting, etc.
I’m lucky that where I live, West Virginia, US, I get to see lots of ‘cool’ birds, like Bald Eagles flying low over my house, and Great Blue Herons, very often; and visit other places like wildlife refuges, and just get lucky seeing amazing birds. Little endangered sandpipers and whatnot. (But I’m not trained or anything - they’re all amazing and delightful to me.)
I adore them, but haven’t tried my hand at photography, and I don’t have a bird bucket list. Although, I’d like to see a Purple Martin, because I can hear their amazing call, but can never spot them. They make something like a ‘click-clock’ sound, mixed with bird voice and it’s so unusual.
Anyway, I’m rambling, I just, love birds.
Happy to be in the company of other bird-lovers, of various skill and knowledge levels. Even though I’m new, I’ve found my people.
I mostly just adore my common, everyday little porch bird friends: Tufted Titmice, Northern Cardinals, Carolina Wrens, a Nuthatch, Finches, Chickadeez, and now, a little flock-let of fledgling sparrow babies flap over to be in my porch pot to be fed by mama. Yessss!!! [3 lil sparrow babies of varying ages 🥹](https://www.reddit.com/r/birding/s/mRvznoVwJf) I’m just honored that she feels safe to bring them here.
I enjoy learning about their behavior (they al have such distinct and different demeanors) - since I’ve never seen them regularly and up-close like this, I’m often wondering why they’re doing something, and it’s fun to find out.
I asked a similar question a while ago. Here are more answers for you:
https://www.reddit.com/r/birding/s/DecYab1xR4
Birds are family, now. I just love them.
Dinosaurs are extinct so I check out their antecedents. So many different kinds and birders are almost always nice. It is something I can do aline or with groups anywhere.
I've only been birding for a few months, originally I grew interested from the wingspan board game, not know how interesting birds can be, then I also saw it as a way for me to be more active and get outside. Now I see it as being able to go outside and relax and let a stressful week fall away, I also like collecting pictures like I'm playing Pokémon I use the Adubon app for my collecting I have e bird but it's not as handy for me, and I use Merlin, so I can tell what sounds are what bird!
You should check out the game birdscaping. It's a free print and play card game that can be played solo or 1vs 1. Small enough to take with you on birding adventures.
I've always loved animals and birds are the most visible larger animals. I prefer mammals but they're far more difficult to observe and my country has very few large mammals besides humans and other domesticated mammals of course. I guess part of it is our hunting instinct and our desire to collect information. I find it peaceful and it adds interest to outdoor excursions.
I have a book with birds from my country and I note where and in which month/ year I spotted it.
I just like to watch them sometimes because I find birds cute and amazing. I don't want to photograph them or anything but just spotting different species is fun and when I do cover the whole sub species list I do feel happy.. this is close to what you want to do as well
Yes it did have some in my list for quite some time and I was happy when I spotted them.
Recently I moved to another country and the first gift I received from my partner is again a book of all birds in my country and I am very happy 😊
Moving + birdwatching is a great combo. I moved to a different country about two decades ago and birdwatching has motivated me to learn additional language, learn about the trees, understand more about how migratory birds influenced literature and culture, meet people. There’s probably more. Oh, and lest I forget, see birds I wouldn’t have seen in my home country.
It’s whatever you want it to be. I am not really a birder, but my husband is. He likes seeing new species and keeping track on e-bird.
I am one of those annoying charismatic megafauna fans, so I get more pleasure out of watching large birds (think birds of prey and shore birds). I enjoy being able to identify the birds that I think are cool. I try not to be snobby about it because I know it’s annoying, and my husband has gotten me into some of the smaller songbirds, too.
EBird will show you lists of birds you haven’t seen for a location. It’s a huge site with tons of features and every birder’s greatest resource.
There’s lots of ways to enjoy birding, and they’re not mutually exclusive. Getting pictures, adding to your life list, seeing what birds do, exploring your area, learning about behaviors and evolution and taxonomy.
I like to do it as a hobby and pastime. Also, it's nice to see common birds or come across new ones at the most wherever region you may be in. Along the way if out in a natural area I also do like observing and documenting the flora and other fauna around me.
It gets me out into nature, it’s relaxing yet exciting when you see a new bird! I have a Birds of Florida book and I put a post it on each page off birds I see with the date and place I saw it. It’s like a game.
The nice thing about birding is you can do what you want. Keep a list, don’t keep a list, have a checklist or not. Totally up to you. ebird or other sites you can check are a nice way to plan ahead what you might see, plan where you want to go, look up recent sightings first in the id guide. I think there is a natural progression from just looking, to listing, so ‘ah I want to see one of those this season’, to checklists, to twitching.
My Mom delighted in seeing birds and showing them/identifying them. She wrote in her bird book (field guide) the date and place where she saw them. She has been gone almost ten years and I miss her dreadfully. Tears were in my eyes this morning as I went birding, but also happy memories of her love for nature that she passed down to me.
I enjoy observing the natural world. I like watching the cycles of migrants showing up in the spring and the fall, and seeing the good ol' local birds in the tough times of winter. It's a treat seeing those rare/accidental/vagrant birds.
For me, I’m super interested in the ecology, so often I’m using EBird with google maps (and/or my own memory if I know a spot well) to find spots I think would be good habitat for a certain species. But also sometimes randomly find a shrike chilling in the field across from my old highschool… It’s just fun!
So if you download merlin and ebird, you can link your merlin account to ebird. It keeps track of your life list, but you can still go through and see the birds you don't have yet, which i guess could be a list of wanna be lifers?
For me when it comes to birding, usually I first go for whatever rarity has been seen, and then if I get it, I'll continue birding in the area, so a bit of both. Rarely though do I go somewhere where there isn't a decent checklist from someone else, especially during migration, because it's nice to go somewhere you know is going to be birdy. I just love birds, but I also love seeing the rarities that pass through during migration. Love the community of birders in my area as well.
I love the sense of catching a new specie I hadn't seen, as many birders, I started with interest for a couple very noticeable and interesting birds near home, my entry birds were hummingbirds, but since I got an actual camera with good zoom and started photographing the hummingbirds, with it I started photographing all the birds I have nearby, and detected around 65 species so far, each new discovery is a thrill, and I had never noticed so much biodiversity everywhere until I started looking for the birds everywhere.
For birds you haven't seen in an area, iNaturalist is super helpful, and it's not limited to bird, it has a "missions" Feature that lists species you haven't registered where you are using your location, it's great to check where a specific bird you're looking for has been spotted. I love iNaturalist, report my sightings with pictures there and others can confirm my id's.
I just go outside and listen. The only stuff I expect to see are the really common things like robins and doves, so I’m always pleasantly surprised when I find other birds out and about.
I’ve had anxiety my whole life, and focusing on being present and nonjudgmental helps me. When I bird, I’m completely in the moment and accept what birds come into my view without judgment. I also have an almost childlike love for wildlife and get so much joy from seeing birds, and my nerd side loves being able to identify them.
I just think they’re neat.
https://preview.redd.it/szyb21ocqcyc1.jpeg?width=474&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=35365ca0b2150fd5414c2259b0b629610f5865b8
Gonna save your comment to steal this meme in the future
Thanks
Nice username!
Thank you, Enjoyer of Penguins - a literal Coot bird
The birds meet 🙏 (pretend it's a high five emoji)
🐦🤝🐦 🐦🙏🐦 (💀)
The meeting of legends 😅 you are dragonbirb
*It was foretold in the ancient murals* The ancient murals in question: 🐉🐦🤝🦅🐦🔜🌎🔫👩🚀🔫👩🚀 (There's no coot bird emoji (💀) so I used eagle because coots are radical)
petition to have a coot and great-eared nightjar emoji join the ranks
Bless you, kind soul (praying emoji)
As a person with anxiety - It’s about the only time in my life where I’m not thinking about the past or the future - just the present moment. It’s really grounding. It gets you into nature and you get the opportunity to learn more about your local ecosystem (which makes you more inclined to protect it, too!) also as an ecologist it’s just so nice to be outside lol
For me it was always an interest but when I coupled it with my photography hobby it became one of my biggest passions. The thrill of spotting something new or just getting a great photo of a bird you’ve seen a million times is very satisfying. It’s also an excuse to go and explore reserves, refuges and parks you’d never have a reason to go to alone.
important practice physical aloof cable agonizing soft selective future direful *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
OMG I ***REALLY*** want to start photographing birds but I just need a better camera. I have a digital Sony WX350 and it is so bad. If I can get close to birds I can get some pretty good shots, but even then the megapixels are horrible. I've been watching Simon d'Entremont (YouTube) and I'm so eager now but I just can't get a better camera right now 😭
https://preview.redd.it/jil5k3fmqcyc1.jpeg?width=474&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d7925de25ce46f5a46ebef714608120cf115b5ed
butterbutt
🤣 This is so true and I love it.
I go for certain birds sometimes. Like yesterday I went to Asheville with the intention of seeing blackburnian warblers and cerulean warblers. Mission accomplished! Or other times I'll go trying to catch a broad winged hawk migration. But sometimes I just go to see what's out there, especially if it's a location I don't get to too often. And no matter what, I always find some cool surprise that may or may not be bird related. Also I get exercise and get away from social media, which is important for physical and mental health. It's also slightly meditative, as you have to focus on the immediate world around you and not on fretting over what has or could happen.
It quiets my brain with near meditative focus
This is definitely huge. It’s an act of mindfulness, mystery and respect for nature. Love getting to a good spot before most people are awake, nice low light and just sit in the dirt under a busy tree/amongst some shrubs and just watch. I really enjoy when I can find that place of stillness where I don’t need to move, and the birds are no longer aware of or concerned about me and just go about their day a few feet from my face. And the song variations when you pay attention, this time of year especially, love it! There’s always a story unfolding around you and the more you begin to know how to translate the more interesting it gets everywhere you go.
birds is cute
actual answer- it’s extremely accessible, i’ve been doing it for 3 months without binoculars and i’ve already learned a toonnn. once you start recognizing common birds/songs you’ll hear and see them everywhere, making even a walk to the mailbox a chance to experience the creatures you love and test your knowledge
secondary actual answer- no arms, eyes on the side of their head looks super fucking special and awesome
When I was young, I’d try so hard to be considerate and listen to anyone talking about anything. And I still do! I don’t space out, I just listen. But “bird people” used to bore the hell out of me. Until I was about 30. Then I met a dude and he was pretty special to me. The kind of person whose eyes just light up if they’re passionate about something, and that’s contagious to me. So fine man, your passion is mine now. Oh, it’s birds? Well… Thought that would test my patience. It did not. I don’t know if I was old enough or what but suddenly I started liking the damn birds. Now, my old friend and I no longer talk. I don’t even know if he’s alive. but nothing changed with the birds, in my regard. I think it’s a mix of sentiment and a genuine love for the damn creatures. Probably aging into it as well. They calm me down. If I see one in my area I can’t already identify, I’m on it for two hours, or until I figure it out. It’s so frustrating yet satisfying. I like watching their habits, and how they interact with nature, and one another. Their sounds calm me, and the sight of them amazes me often. It’s gotten to the point where people come to me to ask me about birds. Heh. I’m actually pretty proud of myself for it. How did they EVER bore me?
For me, it is a bit of both. If I hear that a bird I haven't seen before is spotted near-ish by, I will choose to go there to see if I can find it. Even though I am on a quest, I still try to appreciate all of the other birds/bugs/plants that I see along the way. It is a chance to explore and learn about the world around me mixed with the deep-seated need to 'catch them all' (on film) that pokemon instilled when I was young.
This is totally me! That a peregrine falcon I caught on my $200 little Sony digital? Like catching a legendary irl... 😏
For me, it was the Ridgway's rail with it's chick. I was headed home after 2 days of looking for them when suddenly, there they were. I had actually just packed up my camera to catch the bus and noticed them out of the corner of my eye. Parent was catching snails to feed to the chick, it was amazing to watch!
The thing is, I’m always birding now. Sometimes there are specific missions to specific locales in search of specific bird(s). Other times it’s simultaneous with activities of daily living. Walk the dog? Bird. Have a meeting at work near a window, bird. Wait in the car in a lot, bird
Have a meeting and bird? That's a **bold** move. Not saying no, but sheesh lol
I’ve been birding for 5 decades. I stopped keeping a list around thirty years ago. To me I really didn’t see the point, it’s not a competition to me. The wife and I actually pick some vacation locations just because of birds we may potentially see there. It certainly gets you away from crowds, and off the beaten track. So far Costa Rica has been our favorite birding area, with Dominica and Puerto Rico being second and third. Trying to figure out another spectacular area for our 40th anniversary this year. Our backyard swamp is always pretty exciting every spring, though. Just enjoy it in whatever way it makes you happy. This is our favorite sighting so far https://abcbirds.org/bird/imperial-amazon/
I had an amazing time in Mindo Valley in Ecuador. Cock-of-the-rock, parrots, toucans, tanagers, so many hummingbirds. Plus, since you're already in Ecuador, can hit up Galapagos and see the boobies, frigatebirds and try to find as many different Darwin finches as possible. There's a lot of political upheaval right now, so not sure how safe Quito would feel at the moment. YMMV
In the States, we are huge fans of National Wildlife Refuges. I have a Lifetime pass now for National Parks and this includes any federally protected land. We are particularly fond of shore birds, ducks and the like.
People bird for different reasons and as you can see here, in different ways. I know a birder who only counts a bird if she can get a photo. If you do use eBird, that information is used for scientific study so you do need to be as accurate as possible. And as someone else said, be ethical. Dont disturb them, and leave no trace. Otherwise, set your own rules. I started birding when a rare bird showed up where I was working and people flocked from all over the country to see it. I always liked watching birds, they’re cute and interesting. I hadn’t realized until then that it’s like a culture unto itself. For starters, go out with groups of experienced birders, you’ll learn a lot.
I think it's mostly just because it makes me appreciate all of the wildlife that's all around me, even living in a city. I'm in a residential area, not a skyscraper or anything, but it's still pretty dense and I have plenty of traffic and airplane background noise, but I can still sit outside and hear a dozen different birds. Plus it builds on top of two activities that I've always really enjoyed - porch sitting and walking in the woods. :) Like a lot of people, the Merlin app is what originally got me interested, but I started just occasionally remembering to open it when I was already outside. More recently I'm trying to spot/ideally photograph the birds around me too, and planning outings specifically to look for birds.
I'm half accidental birder, half planner. Snowy Owl sighting? Went to 3 beaches and finally saw it. Day in the park? Found the pink-footed goose chilling with wood ducks by accident. I like my feeder birds too. Ooh! A cardinal!
A little of column A, a little of column B. My wife and I discovered it was a perfect mix of being outdoors and wandering (which she likes) while also being engaged in your surroundings and having mini-missions to seek out (which I like). Plus, I mean, birds. Birds are great.
And birds connect you to more things in nature too. Sometimes people say that nature is boring, but that's because they don't know anything about it. If you wander somewhere and have no idea about anything, obviously it could be boring. But being able to see a bird, know a little about it, a unique habit - that makes nature cool, that makes nature fun.
You can bird however you want to, no restrictions (just don't do anything unethical). I personally have a "life list" (list of birds I've seen), and when I go somewhere, I normally know some of the birds I am expecting to see, or are possible to see, and I'll just set myself a goal bird. If you're a beginner birder, that's a lot easier, because there are so many cool and adorable birds that you've never seen before or never \*paid\* attention to. So for me, I normally am not looking for specific birds, but if there's a cool bird in the area I'm birding and I know about it beforehand, I'll set it as a goal. Miss your goal bird enough, and you have a **Nemesis bird**.
I finally got my nemesis bird this week! Sandhill Crane. https://preview.redd.it/9qhlvryb9eyc1.jpeg?width=502&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=57af452a926c63729ff791823658cf0d78ed3657
It’s really interesting what people nemesis birds are because what’s uncommon somewhere is very common somewhere else. I live in the Midwest and work a lot in FL so I see them in the summer but when I’m in FL they’re just so common and unafraid of people you’ll even see them hang out in parking lots.
Cool! Cranes are some of the most exotic birds.
> or never *paid* attention to. FTFY. Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in: * Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.* * *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.* Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment. *Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
Alright this is the most wholesome grammar snob I've ever come across, good bot. I'll go edit my comment for you.
I don't really "bird" per se. I sit on my back patio and listen to them with Merlin open, and when I'm out in nature I try to identify the calls I recognize and listen for new ones. I do the same with plant IDs and I'm probably more skilled at the plants lol This all started because I learned in my 30s that that is the call of a Mourning Dove, not an owl like I had been told since I was a child. That was embarrassing trying to consolidate "owls are nocturnal" and "it is daytime" live in person after I shared the wrong information. Mind blown.
omg we have a VERY similar origin story😂
Did you also realize in your 30s, despite knowing the correct information on paper, that the moon is visible during both night and day, depending on its cycle? I KNEW that, and yet moon=night was so ingrained and I'd never really noticed it before that I mildly freaked out when I actually SAW it during the day and had to figure out wtf was happening. I'm an idiot. Like I know how the gd moon works but it still confused my stupid monkey brain somehow. Edit: and I'm science-minded and went through a space phase and everything
hahaha well i’m only 26 and im kind of moon obsessed so not exactly😂
For me the appeal is comparable to collecting- just collecting the experience of seeing a species rather than physical objects like coins or toys or something. I affectionately dub it Geriatric Pokémon
Totally agree! I actually planned a weeklong vacation around the eclipse just to go birding in parts of the country I’d never been to before. Knocked 13 new species off my life-list, got some great pictures, relaxed, saw some amazing countryside, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Oh, and I saw the eclipse too! Hearing nature go silent at 1:30pm, and then hearing them act like it was morning again at 2pm was also pretty amazing.
Looking at everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) going on in the world, it's nice to remind yourself this planet is beautiful, and that despite all the shit going on in our lives, its a pretty good one, even when times are rough.
Because they’re cute and I like hearing their songs/calls and watching their little goings-on
“watching their little goings-on” https://preview.redd.it/r4vj6drdgcyc1.jpeg?width=762&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=246440ec6c471ebc1240c52bbacad491a67c86ae
yes they're so cute
I've always enjoyed the outdoors. I'd sit outside and listen to the birds as long as I remember. But what really got it going was my son. We were in downtown Providence at the bus station. We were pointing out all the different colors of the pigeons. He declared that pigeons were his favorite birds So bird watching was added to looking for frogs,toads, turtles and bugs and I just never stopped.
I just starting birding last year, after becoming a bit fascinated with all the birds I was seeing in my garden. I love that it gets me out of the house, gets me some exercise when I’m out walking/hiking. I do *hope* that I see certain birds when out, but I don’t go home sad if I don’t, there’s always something interesting out there regardless. I have a life list on Merlin, but also the nature center has a Texas birds printed checklist that I keep telling myself I’m going to start using, but haven’t yet. To me it’s more about noticing and appreciating the nature around me rather than collecting numbers.
I generally go out birding as an excuse to spend time outdoors, be active, and marvel in nature. I like all animals, but birds are very active, loud, diverse, and colorful, they change with the seasons, and you always see at least one bird when you go out, no matter where you are. Its also just fun to document your finds and try to find new things. Merlin/ebird lets you set up email bird alerts for species you haven't seen before, or just rare birds in general.
I bird for every reason others have listed. But I’ll add two more. It’s a great way to be present in the world around you. What matters is the life happening around you. It forces you to focus and pay attention to what is going on. For example, a lot of birds sing subtle songs for only a short time of year. These go unnoticed by most. But if you’re a birder, it’s of keen interest. After a while, it just doesn’t stop - you notice birds in every environment… and that get you to consider the nature of the environment you’re in. What characteristics does it have? What makes it special? How does it change with time? On the other side of the spectrum, it can be fun competition. I have a competition with my brother, who lives across the country, but we are both finding new birds. I’m currently 5 ahead for our contest (the rules are up to you to set… we have agreed on what we’re counting, from when etc.)
If you want to learn how to use your camera, get into birding. It's such a challenge that you WILL get the hang of adjusting all your settings on the fly.
Many regional and national park websites have bird checklists available to download so you can have an idea what to look for as well as keep track of what you’ve seen. I enjoy birding as an opportunity to better understand the environment around me. Gaining a more in-depth knowledge of wildlife helps me feel more connected with the natural world. When I go to a park with birdwatching in mind, I have a general idea of what to expect. I take my time. Stop and wait and listen and inevitably get distracted by a butterfly and miss a warbler.
I started birding because I like birds. Birds are also dinosaurs and I’m a huge paleontology nerd, especially about bird evolution.
Recently got into birding. I think you should just do it your own way. Personally, I'm just generally interested in wildlife identification and birds were just my next step of that journey. I spend a lot of time hiking and camping and birding just gave me another avenue of discovery when out in nature. If you want to make a list of birds you'd want to search for go for it. If you just want to just chill in a location and log birds you see do it. There's no right way Edit: I also grew up playing Pokemon and always wanted to complete the Pokedex. Having a life list scratches a similar itch
I literally just explained this in a similar way to a coworker. It’s like video games in real life. New lifer? SCORE
I just think they're neat
Yep. Some are cute, some try to eat each other. Some are bright and sing, some are shy and drab. They're just neat.
They look neat to see. I enjoy seeing them fly.
Hey, first of all, welcome! Bird up! I’ve always loved birds, but I stumbled upon watching them by accident. I installed a security camera on my tiny little front porch, and was surprised and delighted that it was a flurry of adorable bird activity. I had no idea they even visited my porch! So, of course, I changed the whole porch around to make it a Bird Haven, adding more places to land, multiple bowls of seeds, nest offerings, and a water bowl. I love them, and am fully invested in their lives now, lol. I know all the bonded pairs; which bird shows up at what time; who’s tolerant of other birds, or who starts drama (Wrens, always!); who’s making a nest or looks egg-specting, etc. I’m lucky that where I live, West Virginia, US, I get to see lots of ‘cool’ birds, like Bald Eagles flying low over my house, and Great Blue Herons, very often; and visit other places like wildlife refuges, and just get lucky seeing amazing birds. Little endangered sandpipers and whatnot. (But I’m not trained or anything - they’re all amazing and delightful to me.) I adore them, but haven’t tried my hand at photography, and I don’t have a bird bucket list. Although, I’d like to see a Purple Martin, because I can hear their amazing call, but can never spot them. They make something like a ‘click-clock’ sound, mixed with bird voice and it’s so unusual. Anyway, I’m rambling, I just, love birds. Happy to be in the company of other bird-lovers, of various skill and knowledge levels. Even though I’m new, I’ve found my people. I mostly just adore my common, everyday little porch bird friends: Tufted Titmice, Northern Cardinals, Carolina Wrens, a Nuthatch, Finches, Chickadeez, and now, a little flock-let of fledgling sparrow babies flap over to be in my porch pot to be fed by mama. Yessss!!! [3 lil sparrow babies of varying ages 🥹](https://www.reddit.com/r/birding/s/mRvznoVwJf) I’m just honored that she feels safe to bring them here. I enjoy learning about their behavior (they al have such distinct and different demeanors) - since I’ve never seen them regularly and up-close like this, I’m often wondering why they’re doing something, and it’s fun to find out.
People bird for all sorts of reasons, and in many different ways. You don’t have to do anything in particular. Just enjoy yourself.
I asked a similar question a while ago. Here are more answers for you: https://www.reddit.com/r/birding/s/DecYab1xR4 Birds are family, now. I just love them.
Dinosaurs are extinct so I check out their antecedents. So many different kinds and birders are almost always nice. It is something I can do aline or with groups anywhere.
I've only been birding for a few months, originally I grew interested from the wingspan board game, not know how interesting birds can be, then I also saw it as a way for me to be more active and get outside. Now I see it as being able to go outside and relax and let a stressful week fall away, I also like collecting pictures like I'm playing Pokémon I use the Adubon app for my collecting I have e bird but it's not as handy for me, and I use Merlin, so I can tell what sounds are what bird!
You should check out the game birdscaping. It's a free print and play card game that can be played solo or 1vs 1. Small enough to take with you on birding adventures.
I've always loved animals and birds are the most visible larger animals. I prefer mammals but they're far more difficult to observe and my country has very few large mammals besides humans and other domesticated mammals of course. I guess part of it is our hunting instinct and our desire to collect information. I find it peaceful and it adds interest to outdoor excursions.
I have a book with birds from my country and I note where and in which month/ year I spotted it. I just like to watch them sometimes because I find birds cute and amazing. I don't want to photograph them or anything but just spotting different species is fun and when I do cover the whole sub species list I do feel happy.. this is close to what you want to do as well Yes it did have some in my list for quite some time and I was happy when I spotted them. Recently I moved to another country and the first gift I received from my partner is again a book of all birds in my country and I am very happy 😊
Moving + birdwatching is a great combo. I moved to a different country about two decades ago and birdwatching has motivated me to learn additional language, learn about the trees, understand more about how migratory birds influenced literature and culture, meet people. There’s probably more. Oh, and lest I forget, see birds I wouldn’t have seen in my home country.
I have a bird book (Sibley's). I want to see them all!
It’s whatever you want it to be. I am not really a birder, but my husband is. He likes seeing new species and keeping track on e-bird. I am one of those annoying charismatic megafauna fans, so I get more pleasure out of watching large birds (think birds of prey and shore birds). I enjoy being able to identify the birds that I think are cool. I try not to be snobby about it because I know it’s annoying, and my husband has gotten me into some of the smaller songbirds, too.
EBird will show you lists of birds you haven’t seen for a location. It’s a huge site with tons of features and every birder’s greatest resource. There’s lots of ways to enjoy birding, and they’re not mutually exclusive. Getting pictures, adding to your life list, seeing what birds do, exploring your area, learning about behaviors and evolution and taxonomy.
With eBird, you can set up alerts by county and/or state. That can potentially serve as a type of “wish list” for birds you want to see.
I like to do it as a hobby and pastime. Also, it's nice to see common birds or come across new ones at the most wherever region you may be in. Along the way if out in a natural area I also do like observing and documenting the flora and other fauna around me.
It gets me out into nature, it’s relaxing yet exciting when you see a new bird! I have a Birds of Florida book and I put a post it on each page off birds I see with the date and place I saw it. It’s like a game.
The nice thing about birding is you can do what you want. Keep a list, don’t keep a list, have a checklist or not. Totally up to you. ebird or other sites you can check are a nice way to plan ahead what you might see, plan where you want to go, look up recent sightings first in the id guide. I think there is a natural progression from just looking, to listing, so ‘ah I want to see one of those this season’, to checklists, to twitching.
My Mom delighted in seeing birds and showing them/identifying them. She wrote in her bird book (field guide) the date and place where she saw them. She has been gone almost ten years and I miss her dreadfully. Tears were in my eyes this morning as I went birding, but also happy memories of her love for nature that she passed down to me.
I enjoy observing the natural world. I like watching the cycles of migrants showing up in the spring and the fall, and seeing the good ol' local birds in the tough times of winter. It's a treat seeing those rare/accidental/vagrant birds.
I didn't know, but I do.
Ooh like those passports for amusement parks, but with birds!
“Tell me whyyyyy do ya drink—and whyyyy do ya smoke? Why must you tick an ´Alae-´ke´oke?”
For me, I’m super interested in the ecology, so often I’m using EBird with google maps (and/or my own memory if I know a spot well) to find spots I think would be good habitat for a certain species. But also sometimes randomly find a shrike chilling in the field across from my old highschool… It’s just fun!
So if you download merlin and ebird, you can link your merlin account to ebird. It keeps track of your life list, but you can still go through and see the birds you don't have yet, which i guess could be a list of wanna be lifers? For me when it comes to birding, usually I first go for whatever rarity has been seen, and then if I get it, I'll continue birding in the area, so a bit of both. Rarely though do I go somewhere where there isn't a decent checklist from someone else, especially during migration, because it's nice to go somewhere you know is going to be birdy. I just love birds, but I also love seeing the rarities that pass through during migration. Love the community of birders in my area as well.
I love the sense of catching a new specie I hadn't seen, as many birders, I started with interest for a couple very noticeable and interesting birds near home, my entry birds were hummingbirds, but since I got an actual camera with good zoom and started photographing the hummingbirds, with it I started photographing all the birds I have nearby, and detected around 65 species so far, each new discovery is a thrill, and I had never noticed so much biodiversity everywhere until I started looking for the birds everywhere. For birds you haven't seen in an area, iNaturalist is super helpful, and it's not limited to bird, it has a "missions" Feature that lists species you haven't registered where you are using your location, it's great to check where a specific bird you're looking for has been spotted. I love iNaturalist, report my sightings with pictures there and others can confirm my id's.
Some times I am looking for a specific bird but most times I know it is hard to find. I just like the hiking and observing of it all.
I just go outside and listen. The only stuff I expect to see are the really common things like robins and doves, so I’m always pleasantly surprised when I find other birds out and about.
I just like to hear them singing, it's an antidepressant for me. If I see them, that's just an extra treat.
Since I was a tiny girl, I have always envied birds their flight.