• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

What Do You Actually Like About Birds? (1 Viewer)

L

Lawsyd

Well-known member
A simple enough question really. Whether hard core twitcher or nothing more than occasional garden watcher we are all on here because of a liking for (love of) birds.

But what actually gives you that love?

The variation in plumage?
The fact that many quite common species undertake exceptionally long migrations?
The fact that birds are around all of us, wherever we live?
Or something else?
 
I like everything about birds, and always have for as long as I can remember. I have no idea what triggered the obsession.
 
I think it is a combination of the fact that there are a lot of them, they are easy to observe and they are mobile enough to add an edge to spotting them. Aesthetics is a secondary consideration for me but it keeps the interest going in that a goldfinch [add your own nomination] is still good to look at when there is nothing rarer around. Alongside aesthetics is the fact that a lot of bird behaviour is overt compared to smaller mammals meaning that birds can be watched effectively by anyone, anywhere, anytime.
 
On different birds, size, glamour, colour, majesty. The challenge of seeing difficult species. The glory of a perfect sighting of a magical bird in a wonderful setting.

What's not to like? Maybe an entire flock of startled Canada Geese evacuating their bowels onto my car windscreen as they cross the road having launched from the other side of the hedge.

John
 
My interest started as Butterflies and then frogs and toads, my birding interest developed properly about 20 years ago. I think possibly it is down to being them being the intelligent animals that I can meet face to face almost anywhere and at almost any time.
 
Something very simple but amazing....

They fly!

Swift
Hummingbird
Wandering Albatross
Arctic Tern
Peregrine Falcon!

What is more amazing than these birds

That is all
 
For me personaly,it is like fishing,my other hobby,you never know what you are going to catch/see it´s the not knowing what will come along that grips you.A once in a lifetime bird gives you such a buzz that the high goes on for weeks if not months.The other thing is that you are out there in nature tracking down something wild,it´s the hunting instinct thats in all of us without the killing. Eddy
 
variety plus the challenge of finding and identification plus the fact that looking for them takes you to some great places.
Always interested from a very young age and now finding the time to enjoy the hobby to the max.
 
eddy the eagle said:
For me personaly,it is like fishing,my other hobby,you never know what you are going to catch/see it´s the not knowing what will come along that grips you.A once in a lifetime bird gives you such a buzz that the high goes on for weeks if not months.The other thing is that you are out there in nature tracking down something wild,it´s the hunting instinct thats in all of us without the killing. Eddy
Click to expand...

Its not the hunting for me, its just the simple pleasure of seeing something, today it was a Kestrel sitting on a lamp standard on the look out for its lunch alongside a very busy A380 a couple of miles from Newton Abbot.
 
speckled wood said:
Its not the hunting for me, its just the simple pleasure of seeing something, today it was a Kestrel sitting on a lamp standard on the look out for its lunch alongside a very busy A380 a couple of miles from Newton Abbot.
Click to expand...

I genuinely did a double-take when I read your post because I wondered what you were doing sitting along side a double-decker airliner, then I realised you meant a road. ;)
 
Almost (OK, only a few thousand short, then) as many different reasons, so far, as there are birds. The wonderful beauty of bird watching, eh?
 
A combination of much of the above really! I like that pretty much no matter where you are you'll find them (often birds are the first wildlife we see in life and usually the most obvious expression of the natural world... besides plants of course!), they fly (usually!) and they look wonderful - anything from the beautiful patterning on a dunnock to the electric blue of a kingfisher does it for me. Plus they can make the most beautiful sounds and are quite easy to watch and see interesting behaviour.

The fact that birds fly does also make it an interesting hobby as Eddy says - if you are interested in mammals or plants there are certain species that are likely to be found on a patch and though the hunt with mammals is one where you never know if you'll see one or not, with birds it's exciting to think that 'anything' could turn up. You never really know quite what you'll see, and I'm not thinking particularly about rarities, more that migrating birds come and go so you might have birds pass through that you don't usually see, like whinchats, flycatchers, a red kite or maybe a buzzard.

Insects I'd guess are similar, if not more-so! With so many species you could spend years on a patch and not see a fraction of the insects it has to offer.
 
Last edited:
I agree with most of the above postings - but one thing missing from most is the fact that I like birders! On the whole, they're a great bunch of folk - except for one German birder & photographer with a huge encroaching lens with whom my OH almost came to blows in a copse on Lesvos - but that's another story.

Sandra
 
I think what started it for me was a childhood obsession with dinasours. When someone told me about the dinasour/bird link I became facinated with birds instead.

I can still remember the thrill of tracking down a cuckoo when I was about 10 and I've loved birds (and birding) ever since (even though I remain a rank amateur).
 
Well I would say for me it amazes me how all the birds we see are wild! Seeing birds like kingfishers and thinking 'wow' ! And then thinking that is pure natural wildlife. I love how there's so many species to see. Knowing a bird could turn up anywhere ! I love seeing all the birds in my graden happily feeding and being grateful they have chose my garden to visit. Also find it amazing hearing about 'rare' birds in the UK and thinking about there journey here and how they ended up where they are now..Well I think that about all birds. Seeing birds while birding and thinking how they got to where they are now.

Amazing when you think about it really..
 
I like the fact that I can be entertained by birds anywhere, any time; I can enjoy birding without going anywhere special or spending any money. (That's not to say I HAVEN'T spent any money: I got a 300mm prime lens for the express purpose of photographing birds, and I spend plenty on bird feeding. But even if I didn't, the birds would still be there.)

I like watching birds when they don't realise I'm there (or I don't think they do, anyway--maybe they simply don't care). I like identifying repeated behaviours, and trying to figure out the purpose of such. I like listening to their noises, and getting that feeling of frozen anticipation, when they start to hop closer, perhaps with the idea of investigating one's shoes.

I like their colours, their shapes, their markings, and the intricacies of identification. I like spotting something new, and hurrying home to compare my photos to other people's, and determine what I've found.

I guess the short answer is "everything." Oh, well, I don't like cleaning up after them, but that's a necessary evil, if one is going to put out feeders.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 11 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Similar threads

M
Bird You Have Taken for Granted
Replies
15
Views
1K
maplekong
M
E
Do you tick birds which are made tame by food?
2
Replies
23
Views
2K
Sangahyando
S
M
Moving/Will miss my birds
Replies
10
Views
907
Kellyhrclr1
K
JRP01
How did this started for all of you? (And my little story of how I got into this amazing hobby)
Replies
12
Views
1K
Patudo
P
N
Seeking insights for a birdwatching data analysis project
Replies
3
Views
574
jurek
jurek

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top