A Year of Helping Birds: Go Birding!
As detailed in this series’ first post, bird populations in North America have suffered a terrible decline in the past generation; there are almost 30% fewer birds now than there were since the 1970s. That’s about 3 billion birds in 50 years, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. We’ve lost large amounts of many popular species, including several favorite backyard birds, such as blue jays (1 in 4 lost), red-winged blackbirds (1 in 3 lost), and dark-eyed juncos (1 in 3 lost). There are many reasons for this decline, and in this month’s post for the series A Year of Helping Birds, we’re focusing on the importance of going birding. Birding is fun! And birding is good for you and for birds!
Birding Makes Us Happy and Helps Birds Too
Birding, whether backyard or going out in nature to parks and preserves, is good for people, mentally and physically. There’s a wide range of birding for all ages, and it’s a popular hobby because it’s easy, free and fun. Birding is also good for birds because it helps support conservation research through group documentation (e-bird, bird counts), and it helps more people get involved in initiatives that help birds: planting natives, avoiding pesticides, supporting bird-friendly products, buildings and windows, supporting conservation legislation, and more.
What is Birding? Am I A Birder?
If you’ve spent any time watching birds from a window, and wondered, “hmm, is that a cardinal?” then you are definitely a birder, using the broad definition articulated by US Fish & Wildlife: “To be counted as a birder, an individual must have either taken a trip one mile or more from home for the primary purpose of observing birds and/or closely observed or tried to identify birds around the home.” Birding is a growing community: in 2016, there were 45 million birders in the U.S., nearly 20 percent of the population, according to that same U.S. Fish & Wildlife study (PDF). Since the pandemic, that number has undoubtedly grown.
There’s a typical stereotype of a birder (older white male, floppy hat, binoculars) but birding and birders have grown significantly in the past few years with a greater diversity that represents all of us: Christian Cooper’s Central Park Birdwatching incident spawned Black Birders week, and a greater awareness of non-white birders. The Feminist Bird Club is a nationwide birding group with a focus on acceptance and social justice. BIPOC and LGBTQ+ birding events and groups have blossomed.
There are many types of birding and they’re all good for you, and fun. You can bird from home, looking and listening from your window or yard. Maybe put up a feeder where you’ll get better views of birds and their feeding behavior. You can travel to your local park or preserve to see and hear more birds. E-bird has a map of hotspots, and Chicago Audubon has descriptions of Chicago- area hotspots.
Soon you may want to identify the birds you see and hear; for many, there is a special satisfaction in knowing the names of the birds encountered. Beginners can check out this list of 20 common birds from the National Audubon Society. There are various types of bird guides that help, and if you have a smartphone, I highly recommend the Merlin app which can help you identify birds visually or by sound, while you sit in your yard or while walking around. A pair of binoculars will really help you see colors and details of birds for easier identification. Audubon has a binocular guide for various budgets.
You can bird alone, or find a local group that offers birdwalks. Birding with a group is a great way to learn more about birds, and how to identify them based on color, shape, songs and habitat. Plus, you’ll meet other birders and you can make new friends. The American Birding Association has a list of birding clubs by state, and the Feminist Bird Club has chapters nationwide. Most cities have BIPOC and LGBQIA + birding groups; google for specifics as they are local, not nationally organized. Social media can be a good place to find a birding group that fits your requirements, and you can bird vicariously by following various birding social media groups where people post bird photos.
Birding is Good for You
Birding provides tremendous benefits for your physical, mental and spiritual health. It’s hard to believe that something so fun can be so good for you!
When you go out birding, you’re walking, which is a great form of physical exercise, no matter if you're walking fast or slow. Because you're engaged in an enjoyable activity, you have a tendency to walk longer than just a quick walk around the block.
When you start to identify birds, visually and by ear, you’re improving your brain’s network of neurons, strengthening your ability to learn and memorize. Recent studies indicate being in nature can improve your concentration, and reduce stress. Birding specifically - seeing and hearing birds - was found to significantly improve people’s mental wellbeing, according to this recent study published in Nature.
And the act of birding can be meditative, similar to practicing mindfulness, as you focus on your surroundings, a specific bird, the bird song. Birding is also a great social activity that can be shared with others.
Birding is Good for Birds
Birding is a gateway to broader bird conservation. When you start birding, you become aware of birds, especially the ones you see every day. You get to know that cardinal couple you see at your feeder, or the hummingbirds that return every May, the mourning doves that coo gently near your home, the goldfinches that turn bright yellow every spring. Then your awareness grows to an awareness of all birds, and the natural world they live in.
You might learn that goldfinches love coneflowers, and you begin to plant more native plants, and understand why native plants are so critically important to birds. You might enjoy birding at your local forest preserve and begin to help with restoration efforts, such as the removal of invasive plants. I’ll cover that topic in more detail in a future Year of Helping Birds post, but here’s the volunteer page for the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Most birding organizations, including Chicago Audubon, have habitat restoration volunteer information, or search online for your local volunteer opportunities.
Birding also helps birds by contributing to our knowledge of birds. The birding statistics documented in e-bird and in other bird counts have helped ornithologists and other scientists better understand birds, their populations, and where they need help the most. This guide from Cornell Lab of Ornithology has more information on e-bird and other bird monitoring opportunities where your birding can help birds.
As you learn more about birds and their declining populations, you might become more aware of your carbon footprint, reduce your use of pesticides, make your windows safer, and choose bird-friendly products. Birds need our help, and I’ll cover other related topics such as supporting conservation legislation, contributing to birding organizations, and keeping your pets indoors, in future articles.
We value what we know and love, and when more people love birding, we’ll devote more time, energy and money to helping birds.
Learn More
11 Tips for Feeding Backyard Birds - National Audubon Society
What’s The Best Book Or Field Guide For Bird Identification? - All About Birds, The Cornell Lab
Birding With Benefits: How Nature Improves Our Mental Mindsets - National Audubon Society
Yes, Birding Does Change Your Brain - National Audubon Society
More Birds Bring More Happiness, According to Science - National Audubon Society
The Surprising Health Benefits of Bird-Watching - New York Times
Why Is Birdwatching Important? - Birda
Smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment reveals mental health benefits of birdlife - Nature
Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis (PDF) - U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Citizen Science: Be a Part of Something Bigger - The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Check out all of our Year of Helping Birds articles
