Birdwatching or Birding

By /

Caught on Camera

Birdwatching has always been around. By some accounts, it had been in the last 20 years that birdwatching or Birding exploded in popularity. In fact, today, birding, is the second fastest growing hobby in North America, bested only by gardening. A whole new language has emerged along with it. Those in the know also refer to bird watching simply as “birding” and the people who do it as “birders”.

Marvelous Spatuletail, Northern Peru
Early explorers thought adult male Marvelous Spatuletail were able to move the two long tail feathers on any direction. Later it was discovered that was not the case.

Birdwatching or Birding

People of all ages enjoy seeking out the birds of their region, watching them in their natural habitat, and enjoying their songs. Birds can be fascinating creatures with much to offer to those who care to study their lives. Much can be learned from where they occur, where they roost, how they fly, and what they sing. We can say that watching birds can reveal things about nature and the beauty that exists in nature. Getting to know their natural history, traveling to far regions and countries in search of birds, experiencing other cultures, and enjoying the scenic beauty along birding trails are some of life’s most rewarding and fulfilling experiences.

Adult male Marvelous Spatuletail (Loddigesia mirabilis) photographed by the great nature photographer and friend Dubi Shapiro.