Lighter Side
Ten Reasons Why You Should Stop What You Are Doing and Become a Bird Watcher Right Now
By Bill Thompson III
I am a firm believer that every single person on this planet needs to become a bird watcher. There are dozens of reasons why I believe this to be true, but here are my Top Ten reasons for YOU to become a bird watcher.
10. It's easy to do. Watching birds is easy. You find a bird or birds and you watch them. It's nice to be able to identify them but this is not a requirement. And you don't have to take an epic journey to find birds. Start by looking our your window into your backyard or garden. Most bird watchers find that two simple tools are all they need: binoculars and a field guide.
9. Birds are everywhere. There are very few places on Planet Earth that are completely bird-free. This is why bird watching, or birding, is a hobby that anyone can enjoy anywhere-from your office window, while talking a walk in the park, or when you are sitting in your yard. All of these are places where you can enjoy birds.
8. It's healthy. Bird watching has proven health effects. It gets you outside in the fresh air, gets you moving around, and it's relaxing for mind, body, and spirit.
7. It's fun! This one is obvious, isn't it? The first time you see a new bird (known as a life bird because you are seeing it for the first time in your life) you'll realize just how enjoyable this bird-watching thing is. Then you'll want a second new bird, a third, and so on.
6. You will meet interesting people. Most of my favorite people in the world are bird watchers. And it's not just because we share an interest. It's because they are intelligent, energetic, curious people who care about birds and nature. Join your local bird club. Take a field trip at the local nature center. Travel to one of the 350-plus birding festivals held annually in North America. And you'll see what I mean about birders being friendly and interesting.
5. Your brain will grow. Just like the chickadee that grows extra brain cells in winter to remember where it cached its sunflower seeds in the fall, bird watchers find that their minds expand with the new knowledge they are acquiring about birds. Identification tips and tricks, certain field marks and bits of bird behavior will fill you mind, and you'll find, with practice, that you remember most of them.
4. Birding is a gateway. You may find yourself adding onto your pursuit of birds by becoming interested in butterflies, wildflowers, mammals, trees, or even reptiles. Once your eyes are opened to the wonders of birds, you can't help but notice other facets of the natural world.
3. It gets you away from the television and computer. It's sad that we need an excuse to get us away from these monsters of the digital age (and in the spirit of full disclosure, I am writing this article on a laptop). Birds can be a catalyst to getting us outside. I can't count the number of times I've been sitting at my computer when I noticed a bird outside my office window and grabbed my binoculars to head outside to look at it.
2. Birds are fascinating (and very like us). Birds can sing beautifully, they wear fabulous colors, they court their mates and are fiercely loyal. They invest a great deal of time and energy into rearing their young. In short they are just like us, except THEY CAN FLY (and they eat caterpillars). Flying is something we humans have only mastered in the past 100 years. How much more fascinating can you get?
1. You will help to save the world. An interest in birds is made complete by being involved in the conservation of birds and their habitat. There are hundreds of ways to help conserve birds, including making your backyard bird-friendly, participating in citizen science projects, joining your local bird and nature club, and voting for candidates that support bird conservation efforts