Birdwatching or birding is the observation and study of birds with the naked eye, or usually through a visual enhancement device, most commonly binoculars. Most birders or birdwatchers pursue this activity for recreational or social reasons, unlike ornithologists, who are engaged in the formal scientific study of birds. Ornithologists can, however, study birds using the same methods as birders.

Birding versus birdwatching

Birders in both Britain and the U.S. often differentiate themselves from birdwatchers. At the most basic level the distinction between 'birders' and 'birdwatching' is one of dedication or intensity. Generally, self-described birders are more versed in minutiae such as moult, distribution, migration timing, and habitat usage. Dedicated birders may travel widely whereas bird watchers tend to have a more limited scope, perhaps to their own gardens. Birders may also look for as many species as possible, while birdwatchers may try to just observe one bird without worrying about finding more.

Overview

The most active times of the year for birding in temperate zones are during the spring or fall migrations when the greatest variety of birds may be seen. On these occasions, large numbers of birds travel north or south to wintering or nesting locations.

Early morning is typically the best time of the day for birding since many birds are searching for food which makes them easier to find and observe. Success in locating the more interesting species typically requires detailed knowledge of their appearance, sounds, behaviour, and habitat, in addition to stealth and patience on the part of the observer.

Birding can be one of the quieter and more relaxing outdoor activities. However, birders who are keen rarity-seekers will travel long distances to locate new and rare species, intending to add these to their list of personally observed birds. (These lists often take the form of a life list, national list, state list, county list, or year list).

Seawatching is a type of birdwatching where observers based at a coastal watch point, such as a headland, watch birds flying over the sea.

Many birders take part in censuses of bird populations and migratory patterns which are sometimes specific to individual species. These birders may also count all birds in a given area, as in the Christmas Bird Count. This citizen science can assist in identifying environmental threats to the well-being of birds or, conversely, in assessing outcomes of environmental management initiatives intended to ensure the survival of at-risk species or encourage the breeding of species for aesthetic or ecological reasons. This more scientific side of the hobby is an aspect of ornithology, coordinated in the UK by the British Trust for Ornithology.

Increasing seasonal bird populations can be a good indication of biodiversity or the quality of different habitats. Some species are persecuted as vermin, often illegally, as with the case of the Hen Harrier in Britain. Frequently this occurs through a false perception that predatory species increase in number at the expense of other species of birds, insects, or smaller mammals. In most cases, the reverse applies; the population of predatory species is controlled by the abundance of the prey species. Bird counts within defined geographic areas can therefore be useful from a scientific and ecological perspective.

Twitching

"Twitching" is a British term used to mean "the pursuit of a previously located rare bird". In North America it is more often called "chasing" though the British usage is starting to gain favour, especially among younger birders. The British term is said to come from the frenzy that descends on someone when they receive news of a rare bird. The term may have been derived from one of its first proponents, who would arrive on his motorbike during freezing weather in the early 1960s, still "twitching" from the cold.

The end goal of twitching is often to accumulate species on one's lists. Some birders engage in competition with one another to accumulate the most prolific species list. The act of the pursuit itself is referred to as a "twitch" or a "chase". A rare bird that stays put long enough for people to see it is called "twitchable" or "chaseable".

Twitching is highly developed among birders in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Ireland. The smaller regional sizes of these countries make it possible to quickly travel inside their borders with relative ease. The most popular twitches in the UK have drawn large crowds, such as a group of approximately 5,000 people who came to view Golden-winged Warblers in Kent. Twitching is also highly popular in Finland and Sweden.

In the United Kingdom there exists a particular twitchers' vocabulary which is surprisingly well-developed and potentially confusing to the uninitiated. In the UK for example, "dipping" is the act of missing a rare bird you attempted to see, "gripped off" is how you feel when other twitchers see a particular bird but you did not, "suppression" is the act of concealing news or location of a rare bird from other twitchers, and a "dude" is someone who is uneducated or ill-informed about rare birds. Similar vocabularies have developed in other countries where twitching is popular.

Twitchers, particularly in Europe, often utilize mobile phones and pagers to keep constantly informed of rare bird sightings, weather, and the activities of fellow twitchers. Weather is important as the right wind conditions may lead to drift migration from the east or "Yankees" being caught in the tail end of hurricanes from the west.