The Suprising Rise of Birding

Ninety-six million people went outside and watched birds last year. 96 million! Mentions of birdwatching five or ten years ago included mainly low-effort jokes of a clumsy geriatric who is perpetually in khakis and sunburnt. After trying it, I really hope one day I will be a geriatric in khakis (hold the sunburn). I see "bird and birdwatcher" as halloween costumes among the youth, and the hobby played an important role in uncovering the killer in Hulu's Only Murders in the Building. So what changed?

It Became Accessible... and Sociable

I can take out my cell-phone and identify a bird. I can go into an app and once I identify the bird, add this to my bird list. I can share this list with my birding community. I can have competitions with others to see how many birds I can spot and how many types. Birding communities are among the friendliest on and off the internet, and I can actually aid ornithologist population counts by doing this.Or, you can have absolutely none of that and still bird.

Photo via source

Covid-19 Changed People's Relationship with the Outside

I don't think people realized how much they needed to be outside until they were inside. When they were inside, it was much quieter outside, no cars or bustle, and so you could hear birds and had the time to observe them. For many, the habit stuck.

Birds are Cool

These little guys fly. They fly, and they fly all day long and have more energy than I have with three cups of coffee. As you get more into birding, you begin to realize the complex activities and social and power Game of Thrones that happen outside your windows. This makes birding have layers and become more interesting as you learn.

Photo via source

Surgence of Mindfulness

Covid-19 didn't only directly expose birding through sweet songs whispering through window panes, it also created a mindfulness epidemic. It made us realize how important the environment, mental health, and mindfulness are. Birding is a reason to get outside, to be social outside, which helps mental health and mindfulness.

Birding will continue to rise as more discover and rediscover the amazing creatures.