In this installment of our Hot Take blog series, Darby Comm’s Media Relations Director Suzanne Hermann challenges the notion that birding is anything other than a truly badass outdoor activity.
I am being swarmed by tiny biting insects, but I’m trying to ignore it so I can concentrate on the insane scene playing out in front of me. It’s an overcast morning, and I’m adjusting my binoculars to take in the annual display along Reeds Beach at the southern tip of New Jersey. Thousands of seagulls have congregated on this narrow stretch of sand to dine on a very exclusive seasonal menu…horseshoe crab eggs. The spring spawning season brings more than just resident laughing gulls and herring gulls in for this feast; we are here specifically in search of the red knot. This medium-sized shorebird takes an epic journey twice a year, flying some 9,300 miles from its winter home in southern South America to its breeding grounds in the high Arctic, and then back again in the fall. Somehow the red knots know to stop here in New Jersey to fatten up on crab eggs that will sustain them for their journey north, and likewise bird-watchers flock from all over to witness the spectacle. Sadly for our small group, it appears we are about a week too early to catch the red knots in action, but the show put on by the gulls makes up for it. As far as the eye can see, horseshoe crabs (living dinosaurs closely related to ticks and scorpions) crawl in the sand and flail in the surf as gulls descend on them. It is loud, brutal, and beautiful at the same time. We watch in awe as long as we can stand the incessant bug bites, then pack up and move on, ready to find the next birding hotspot down the road.
As part of our new partnership with FeatherSnap, Darby Comm curated a birdwatching media event to coincide with the launch of the brand’s flagship product, the Scout Wi-Fi enabled smart bird feeder. Our goal was to introduce key media partners to the brand and product while getting them excited about birding. As it turned out, all of our media guests were already birding enthusiasts…like, really enthusiastic. Among the group, I was by far the novice when it came to seeking, spotting, and identifying birds. So even though my main role was to keep things moving and make sure people got where they needed to be on time, I was also there to learn. In two short days, my fledgling interest in backyard birdwatching (which to-date had centered around tracking birds that came to my family’s feeder) turned into full-fledged bird nerddom. I get it now. Birding is badass.
According to a recent study by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, around 96 million people “closely observed, fed, or photographed birds; visited public parks to view birds; or maintained plantings and natural areas around the home for the benefit of birds in 2022.” That’s more than a third of Americans aged 16 and up, and double the number cited in the previous survey done in 2016. Birding is big business, too. The same study showed that wildlife watchers spent more than $250 billion on the hobby in 2022…with six out of every ten dollars shelled out for wildlife-related outdoor recreation spent specifically on watching animals, with birds named as the biggest focus.
So what is it about this activity, which to the casual observer may appear tame or even boring, that attracts a growing number of people every year? Here are my personal takeaways from my first (but definitely not last) birdwatching adventure:
- There is a unique joy in finding and identifying a new-to-you species, or “lifer.” It’s not always easy to spot the birds you hear–it takes time, patience, and practice–so keying in on a new bird is exhilarating. Likewise being with someone who spots a lifer allows you to share in their excitement. When one of our media guests confirmed spotting her first worm-eating warbler, you might have thought she won the lottery, and we all found ourselves sharing in her elation.
- On the flip side of that, true bird enthusiasts tend to get just as excited about spotting a “regular” bird as they are a lifer. I had to laugh when our group would frantically try to find a tufted titmouse or cardinal with their binoculars…birds I see at my feeder every day and would have dismissed in search of something more “exotic.” Common or not, watching these birds in their natural environments was no less thrilling to our group than finding rare migratory species.
- There is a really cool sense of community among birders and a unique willingness to share information. Rather than guarding the location of a special bird, we found other birders to be generous with their intel and encouraging of our efforts to find them. Strangers came together to exchange lists in the middle of a forest and direct each other to the best spots. At one point, a group of 20+ people amassed in the middle of the road to watch a pair of prothonotary warblers do a mating dance, and the shared mood was electric.
- Birding provides a chance to get outside and enjoy nature in a slow, purposeful way. So often, we feel compelled to power through nature–running or biking or skiing with the goal of hitting a certain speed or number of calories burned. When you’re birding, moving slowly and quietly is key, so you really have time to take in the beautiful places surrounding you in a deliberate way.
- Birding is accessible and suitable for all ages. The majority of birders in Cape May skewed older, but it was encouraging to see a solid number of younger folks joining in. This reflects a growing trend among Millenials and Gen-Z, many of whom picked up the hobby during the pandemic. If you want to get into birding, it can be as easy as looking out your window or taking a walk in your neighborhood.
Recent years have brought about a welcome shift in what it means to be “outdoorsy,” making it more acceptable to engage in outdoor activities at every level of intensity. To those who might say birding is boring, I would beg to differ, and I know a growing number of people would agree that, in fact, it’s a badass way to spend a day.
You can learn more about how we build impactful relationships with media through our custom event planning here.