Bird Watcher vs Birder (3 Viewers)

[KC Foggin]

You're too hard on yourself. The early explorers and naturalists didn't have cameras. Did Janszoon keep quiet that he discovered Australia, because he didn't have a camera?

I guess the early birders shot their sightings and had them stuffed as proof of their discoveries, but while I admire your obvious diligence, I'm not sure that 'digital shooting' is necessary as proof of a sighting. (And what if your camera fails?)
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Very true.

 

[Peregrine Took]

Just looked at your gallery KC. Some great ID shots there. I can now understand why you're so keen to capture an image of what you spot... it looks like what you do - and very well too.

 

[01101001]

I don't allow myself to add a new bird on my list unless I have a photograph of it.

Given that you're pitch perfect and hearing is your forte, why do you allow others (who, like me, struggle with sound) to dictate to you what does and what doesn't constitute a tick? Recording can be equally rewarding as photography, and you don't need a parabola or external mic to do it.

 

[KC Foggin]

Given that you're pitch perfect and hearing is your forte, why do you allow others (who, like me, struggle with sound) to dictate to you what does and what doesn't constitute a tick? Recording can be equally rewarding as photography, and you don't need a parabola or external mic to do it.

You've got a point O

 

[Lerxst]

I'm a bird listener, but it doesn't have much of a ring to it, does it?

 

[maplekong]

I'm a bird listener, but it doesn't have much of a ring to it, does it?

Bird whisperer? Since you can understand them?

 

[Woody Thrush]

Down on the river whilst fly angling I pursue bird watching as well as fish. There I am a bird watcher.
Here at home I think of myself as a bird facilitator...
"Facilitator?"
Yep. As a bird facilitator I build and maintain bird boxes for those lovely birds who frequent my yards, the tree swallows, bluebirds, house wrens, and chickadees. I facilitate a safe environment for their broods and cull when necessary any predator species, especially snakes. What do I do with the snakes? I facilitate meals for the turkey and black vultures by simply laying out the snakes to bake in the sun down on the hillside along the creek and the vultures always find them within a few days. (Incidentally that hillside is downwind from the house.) When the vultures arrive I take off my facilitator hat and put on my bird watching hat.
Bon appétit, vultures.

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[maplekong]

Beginners would be looking for 'birdwatching'- my friends at school know what that is- 'birding' is more professional- my friends don't know what that is.

 

[Emily Taylor]

and these days if you said Twitcher/Twitching people would just think you're a live streamer.

 

[Peregrine Took]

and these days if you said Twitcher/Twitching people would just think you're a live streamer.

Or in need of Diazepam.
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[Emily Taylor]

Or in need of Diazepam.
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With the way a lot of the people act on that site it's basically one and the same now lmao

 

[Bezzer]

I always will be a bird watcher no matter how serious I take it, sorry but every time I hear or see the term "birder" I automatically think of Peter Kay and his Car Share sketch of dog walkers being doggers 🙂

 

[YuShan]

Among birders, I use "birder" and "birding"
Among non-birders, I generally use "birdwatcher" and "birdwatching", because otherwise they often don't know what I'm talking about.

 

[YuShan]

One time I was staying in a reserve in Ecuador where a group of French people were watching monkeys all day for research purposes. When I talked about "birding", they had no clue what I was talking about. I then coined the term "monkeying". I went birding and they went monkeying. We kept using the word during my stay. I wonder if they are still using it!