How observing the birds might affect the ecological culture

More and more people worldwide are doing birdwatching. This unusual hobby has come to us from the West and combines the love for nature, science, and especially for the birds.

For many, this hobby may become the race of their lives. For example, in England and the United States photohunters are extremely interested in birdwatching. Their goal is to photograph as many species of birds per year as possible. Photographers are competing with each other, and the competition may drive the number of species observed to thousands. There are different categories of competitions: from within one day (Big Day) to one year (Big Year). The winner of such a competition is an observer who travelled their country and was able to see and recognize the most bird species. Under the influence of this trend the countries are experiencing a rise of bird tourism. Citizens of America spend fortunes and months of their lives to travel to another state in search of a particular type, and travel agencies, for their part, offer tours, hotels, and cars.

Birdwatching is a hobby of millions, and it is gradually attracting the attention of many Ukrainians. While watching the birds, one can get acquainted with the lifestyle of a particular animal, understand the specific characteristics of the species, and contribute to the development of science. Although such ornithology is not a professional research, there are known cases in the world when observant amateurs helped to find an unusual type of residence for a particular species.

The task of a birdwatcher is to determine the type of a bird, the accounting of its population and sometimes even special characteristics. Spending a lot of time outdoors in search of birds, birdwatchers have to travel long distances, and sometimes wait for hours on one place for a particular feathered animal to appear. This work requires great perseverance and endurance. But this way of life improves not only health, but also a spiritual component of personality, which affects the emergence of ecological culture.

Yes, people do protect nature. We are taking care of each species and protecting habitats of birds. However, as our cities grow with unprecedented speed, spotting a wild bird has become increasingly difficult. However, in suburban areas, especially near bodies of water, one can see variety of birds, and even the middle of Kyiv has parks remaining, in which one can easily find a treecreeper, a woodpecker, or a thrush. Not to mention the various types of jay, which also seek refuge in a noisy metropolis.

The main reason for insufficiently rapid development and spread of birdwatching hobby is the lack of knowledge of the world that surrounds us. Whereas we, Ukrainians, don’t realize how huge the ecosystem we complement is, American and British birdwatchers regard our country as a paradise for observation and photography. To expand the environmental culture, it is necessary to change something. The creation and protection of national parks, nature reserves, and other places, untouched by human, will help to preserve a large number of species.

Anyone who seeks to do birdwatching is expected to have patience, endurance, and preferably a camera. The ability to identify a bird and properly catch it in the frame of a camera requires much effort and time to travel to its place of residence. That is why immersing in this hobby can completely change one’s lifestyle.