What are the benefits of birdwatching?
That’s a great question. Especially since birdwatching is a trendy hobby.
Did you know that more people in the USA and Canada spend more time watching birds than they do gardening?
Up to 20% of the population participates in birdwatching every day.
If you’re interested in watching the birds in your yard or the local area, you’re a bird watcher.
It comes with many benefits, whether you see birdwatching as a pastime or a fun hobby.
Let me share the many ways that bird watching can change your life.
Pin For Later
110 Benefits of Bird Watching
Physical Benefits of Birdwatching
1. Increases Physical Activity
If you’re looking to increase your physical activity levels gently, then birdwatching will help you out. Taking regular walks in your local area to spot birds is a fun way to up your cardio activity.
Even when you’re birdwatching at home, you’ll find yourself standing more or even pacing around to get a good view of birds around your feeders.
This slow but steady activity is LISS cardio, a safe, gentle form of exercise.
2. Prevent Disease
Birdwatching can reduce the levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Preventing stress is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of common conditions like heart disease, obesity, and raised blood pressure. [Source]
3. Increase Vitamin D Levels
Getting outdoor to bird watch will naturally raise your vitamin D levels. Increased levels of sun exposure help your body produce more vitamin D. It’s an essential vitamin for boosting your brain and immune system and strengthening your bones. [Source]
4. Improved Sleep
Studies have shown that spending more time outdoors in nature can improve your sleep hygiene. Bird watching is a fun and easy way to increase your exposure to being more active and getting outdoors. [Source]
5. Quicker Reflexes
Birds are fast and unpredictable. One minute you see them, the next they are gone. Some birds can spook easily, so you have to be quick. Birdwatching helps you develop the ability to react quickly; otherwise, you’ll miss out on some spectacular birds.
6. Doctors Recommend It
The health benefits of spending more time in nature doing activities such as birdwatching are becoming more and more known. It’s a fast-moving field known as eco-therapy. Doctors in Scotland have even started prescribing interaction with nature, including bird feeding, to help improve patients’ health and wellbeing. [Source]
7. Reduces Pain
If you suffer from chronic pain, birdwatching can be very therapeutic. Birdwatching can release endorphins which are happy hormones. Alongside regular activity, endorphins can help to combat pain symptoms naturally.
8. Reduces Blood Pressure
The stress-reducing effect of birdwatching can keep your blood pressure steady. If you have problems with high blood pressure, birdwatching is a great way to add some relaxation to your daily life.
9. Therapy For Seniors
Birdwatching is fantastic for mental stimulation for seniors. It’s an excellent hobby for aging family members. It will keep them mentally sharp, remain active in a low-impact way, and connect with others. [Source]
10. Ideal for Limited Mobility
Birdwatching is a versatile hobby that can suit all activity levels. If your mobility is poor, you can still take part. Of course, you may not be able to trek for hours upon hours, but you can still watch birds from the comfort of your backyard.
11. Encourages Arm Strength
Using binoculars for birdwatching is a sure-fire way to encourage you to improve your upper arm strength. You’ll benefit from arm strengthening exercises when you need to lift binoculars up and down or hold them in place for an extended period.
12. Alternative For Allergy Sufferers
Are you an animal lover who suffers from allergies? Then bird watching is a great way to enjoy daily interaction with animals without the risk of an allergy flare.
Emotional Benefits of Birdwatching
13. Reduces Loneliness
Birdwatching has long been linked to a reduction in feelings of loneliness. It’s thought that a human/animal bond with backyard birds can be a form of companionship. This type of interaction helps to provide a buffer against developing poor mental health. [Source]
14. Improves Confidence
Learning new skills from a hobby like birdwatching is a great way to improve confidence. Whenever you successfully identify a new bird or learn how to attract another species, you will feel good about your newfound skills and ability to achieve things.
15. Healthy Competition
Searching for new bird species is a fun way to compete with others. It can be a bit of friendly competition between friends and family.
There is even a world-famous birding competition known as the World Series of Birding. This takes place in New Jersey every year in May.
The Big Year is also an informal competition from the American Birding Association. The aim is to spot as many bird species as possible and compare your numbers with birdwatchers worldwide.
16. Increase Self Esteem
Taking up birdwatching is a great way to boost your self-esteem. Learning new skills and having new experiences will help you feel good about yourself.
As you build your success from birdwatching, you’ll develop a real sense of self-worth. This ability to value yourself is a need we all seek to fulfill.
17. Gives A Sense Of Achievement
Whenever you learn something new, you get a real sense of achievement. Birdwatching has many learning opportunities, from identifying new birds to attraction skills or even mastering new equipment.
18. Become More Respectful
Birdwatching helps you to develop a greater sense of respect for others. You’ll learn to respect nature, wildlife, and the environment. That includes respecting other people and their properties when you are birdwatching.
19. Increase Laughter
Watching birds at your backyard feeders can provide many hours of entertainment and a few good laughs. Birds have some odd behaviors that are highly amusing. Your bird-friendly yard may also attract other wildlife such as squirrels. Watching them try to maneuver feeder baffles will have you laughing out loud at their antics.
20. Reduces Anger
If you’re a bit of a hothead, birdwatching can help to provide you with stress relief. Watching birds is relaxing, which is the number one antidote for anger. Plus, if you get easily frustrated by learning new skills, you don’t need to put a lot of effort into learning birdwatching basics. That’s why bird watching can be so enjoyable for beginners.
21. Improves Relationships
Couples can take up birdwatching as a hobby to do together. A couple’s hobbies can strengthen your bond, improve communication and encourage you to spend time together. A shared interest is also a great way to have a long and healthy relationship.
22. Feeling Of Joy
A good birdwatching experience can bring intense feelings of joy. It’s that sensation of fulfillment when you see a rare bird, attract a new species or spot a bird nesting in your yard. It’s not hard to see how the positive feelings that birdwatching brings can make you feel good about your efforts.
23. Rare Experiences
Some birds are scarce, which means that birdwatching can bring about a unique experience that others won’t have. That scarcity can make you feel exceptional and give you an extra boost to your feeling of self-worth.
Mental Benefits of Birdwatching
24. Reduce Depression
Mental health is a huge public health epidemic. Birdwatching is a hobby that can help you to tackle poor mental health. Studies have found that birdwatching helps people connect with nature and reduces the chances of recurring depression symptoms.[Source]
25. Reduce Memory Loss
Losing your memory as you get older can be a big worry. Particularly if you have a family history of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Birdwatching can help keep your mind healthy by allowing you to continue learning. That type of mental stimulation will help prevent your brain from cognitive decline.
26. Increases Relaxation
Seeing or listening to birds has long been associated with the feeling of relaxation. That’s because humans have learned to associate singing birds with a sense of safety and calm. Think about any relaxation music or app you’ve ever heard. You’d be hard-pushed to find one without nature sounds featuring chirping birds.
27. Reduces Stress Levels
You’ll find that Bird watching is a slow-paced hobby. This can help reduce stress levels by forcing you to slow down and concentrate. Studies have found that seeing birds during the day reduces our stress levels. [Source]
28. Decreases Anxiety
In our ever stressful world, anxiety is on the rise. Birdwatching can help you provide a focus as a distraction from daily worries and overthinking. Watching and reading about birds can help create this sense of escape from your everyday concerns. [Source]
29. It’s Fun
The birdwatching experience can be enjoyable. That’s because it’s a stimulating and rewarding hobby. You’ll feel that pure sense of excitement when you eventually spot the bird you’ve been trying to attract.
30. Grounding Activity
Being present in nature is a very grounding experience. Seeing and hearing birds will stimulate your senses. As well as smelling and touching the natural environment around you. This can really help to make you feel ‘in the moment.’
31. Encourage Introspection
Spending more time on your own in a calm environment can help you to do some self-examination. Introspection can help you to learn a lot about yourself. You’ll find that this act of self-discovery will help you to make a strong connection with your birdwatching experiences.
32. Helps Contemplation
If you’re fed up with self-discovery, then why not try to let go instead. Birdwatching can be a great way to get out of your own head. That period of deep reflective thought can help you become more self-aware and find positivity in your surroundings.
33. Self-Care Time
Making time for self-care is essential to keep you mentally healthy. It’s not all about bubble baths and meditation. Birdwatching is an excellent form of self-care if it helps you relax and unwind. It will be even more effective for you if you schedule even a little time for birdwatching in your daily schedule.
34. Increase Mindfulness
Birdwatching experiences are an excellent inspiration for practicing mindfulness. Use each watching session to pay attention to your breath and the senses you’re feeling in your body. That will range from calm and stillness to the flutter of excitement when you see a bird. This can be great therapy for getting a bit of control over your strong emotions.
35. Increase Mental Alertness
The focus on your senses as you look for birds will increase your mental alertness. You’ll need to listen and look intently, often for just a few seconds, to gather the information you need. You’ll find your brain sharpens overtime to capture the information you need in the moment.
36. Transition To Retirement
Birdwatching is an ideal hobby to transition into your retirement. Many new retirees worry about a lack of daily stimulation. Watching birds will give you the benefits of keeping active. But, you also get the added benefit of relaxation, which is what you’ve worked hard for after all through years of employment.
Intellectual Benefits of Bird Watching
37. Memorise details
Because birds are so fast-paced, you’ll start to hone your observation skills. You’ll soon quickly be able to remember the size, shape, colors, and pattern of a bird. All these details will help you to identify the bird you’ve seen. Remember, you won’t always have a camera or binoculars to hand when a bird decides to appear.
38. Personal Challenge
Challenging yourself to find a new bird species is a great way to push yourself. You’ll find you start to push yourself out of your comfort zone to reach your goal. Whether that’s getting up earlier in the morning to catch a bird in your yard or taking a walk in a nearby forest. You’ll learn a lot about yourself and grow as a person.
39. Gain More Knowledge
Having a basic knowledge of what to do when you’re birdwatching saves you a lot of frustration and headaches. Heck, that’s why I started up birds and wild in the first place. There is so much to know about birds and topics like what they eat or where they nest. Your knowledge of birds will snowball and help advance your birdwatching skills.
40. Share knowledge
It’ll surprise you how quickly you can become a fountain of birding knowledge to those around you. When someone close to you decides to birdwatch, you can help them get started. Or how about passing on your birdwatching knowledge to the kids in your life.
Social Benefit of Birdwatching
41. Reduce isolation
Although birdwatching can be a solitary hobby, it can improve feelings of isolation. Being in nature and hearing birdsongs can help you feel more connected than ever to something bigger than yourself.
42. Make friends
There are so many different ways you can meet other people through birdwatching. That can be from simply seeing fellow birders on your daily walks to getting involved online. Having a shared interest is a great way to open up conversations with people and get to know them more.
43. Join the community
You’ll find a group or club in your area where you can meet up and birdwatch together. Or even connecting with others online through Facebook groups or forums. Community helps you share knowledge, find new goals and celebrate success together.
44. Low Barrier To Entry
One of the things I love about bird watching is how easy it is for anyone to get involved. You don’t need to buy expensive equipment or have extensive knowledge to get started. Start by learning the basics of attracting birds and take it from there.
45. Spearhead Diversity
Bird watching is usually known as a hobby for solitary, middle-aged men. But statistics show that most birdwatchers in the USA are females who birdwatch at home. There are trends towards birdwatching becoming more popular amongst younger people too. If you don’t fit that mold, why not become a pioneer and add diversity to the birdwatching world.
46. Attend Festivals
Did you know that yearly bird festivals allow fellow bird watchers to meet up?
Hundreds of these festivals take place over the USA every year. The good news is that despite the recent events with COVID 19, you can still socially distance or take part virtually.
47. Be Interesting
When you have a hobby, you become more interesting to people around you. Even if people don’t want to hear about birds, you’re sure to have a unique or funny experience to tell them about.
48. Take Part In Worldwide Projects
Every year bird societies such as Audubon or the RSPB have days when they have a ‘Great Backyard Bird Count.’ It connects thousands of people worldwide to identify the birds they see in their local area. This data helps to recognize problems early. Measures can then be implemented to prevent these long-term impacts on birds.
49. Get Friends Involved
Birdwatching as a hobby can be seen as a bit nerdy. But it may surprise you how many people around you love a bit of backyard birdwatching. They may not talk about it as a hobby, but see how they open up once you speak about your birdwatching adventures. You can help them improve their yard and get even more enjoyment from their feathered friends.
50. Inspire A New Generation
As our world becomes more involved with environmental changes, you can start to inspire a new generation with your knowledge. Being a mentor and teaching a new generation your birdwatching knowledge is how we grow and develop as humans.
Environmental Benefit of Birdwatching
51. Get Outdoors
Nature deficiency is the idea that we are spending too much time indoors and less time outdoors. Birdwatching is the best antidote for this issue. Your increased exposure to nature will help improve your physical and mental health and have a newfound appreciation for the benefits of the outdoors.
52. Learn About Bird Worldwide
Bird watching not only get you interested in bird in your local area. Soon you’ll be interested in the most popular bird to watch around the world. Soon you’ll want to book trips to see the Fairy Wren in Australia or the Marvelous Spatuletail hummingbird in the mountains of Peru.
53. Travel To New Places
The fantastic thing about birdwatching is that you can travel anywhere and see new and exciting species. It’s a hobby rooted in eco-tourism that encourages you to travel responsibly. In fact, there is a whole niche travel industry set up to guide you through birding in foreign countries. Where would you love to go?
54. Get To Know Your Area
If traveling worldwide to bird watch isn’t your thing, then you always have your local area. I guarantee you’ll find places you’ve never known about when you start to explore your area for more birds. You might even be surprised to meet neighbors who do the same.
55. Stay At Home
One of the most significant benefits of birding is you can do it from the comfort of your own home. You can bring the local birds to you by creating a bird-friendly environment. If there is a bird you want to see, find out what they like to eat and the type of feeder they like to use.
56. Spread Seeds
Attracting birds to your yard is a great way to help plants spread their seed. Birds will often get seeds attached to their feathers or even carry them in their beaks. Birds drop seeds further away from the parent plant, helping plants spread further.
57. Reduce Food Waste
Offering food in backyard feeders is one of the best ways to birdwatch. You don’t need to constantly provide expensive commercial brand seeds. By giving the birds’ kitchen scraps, you can help to cut down on food waste. Be sure to provide birds with the right food. Why not read my guide on the best foods to offer birds from your kitchen.
58. Help Other Wildlife
When you start attracting birds to your yard, you’ll also be helping out other wildlife. Offing food is a sure way to help out other animals such as squirrels. Planting more flowers will help provide plenty of pollen for the butterflies and bees. You find yourself becoming just as interested in these creatures too. Soon you’ll blossom from backyard birdwatching to a fully-fledged wildlife watcher.
59. Wildlife Conservation
One of the strangest outcomes of bird and wildlife watching is how quickly you develop a sense of protection over these creatures. You’ll want to protect your backyard visitors, help them flourish, and keep them safe. I recommend you start by learning how to tackle the 4 biggest threats to your backyard birds.
60. Support Native Birds
Learning more about birds in your area gives you a better idea of how to cater to their needs. Do they like certain plants, foods, or habitats? You can also learn more about supporting the native species and how to discourage invasive species like sparrows or starlings.
61. Participate In Wildlife Studies
By doing any type of birdwatching activity, you will be able to take part in wildlife surveys. The fishing and wildlife services will do surveys every 4 years to gather information on the economic impact of birdwatching. [Source]
62. Become For Eco-Friendly
Birdwatching is a very eco-friendly hobby. Attracting birds to your yard helps preserve bird and plant species in the area. Plus, you’ll likely want to start using more environmentally friendly products in your yard to prevent harming the birds you attract. Educating others about birds is a great way to do your part for the environment. [Source]
63. Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
When you learn that climate change has a massive impact on birds, you want to do all you can to slow it down. Simple ways you can improve your carbon footprint are unplugging devices to use less energy, trying to eat less meat, don’t take the car when you can walk, and planting more flowers. [Source]
Spiritual Benefits Of Birdwatching
64. Connect To Nature
Having a connection with nature can improve your knowledge of yourself. In modern times we’re disconnected from nature, and with this comes a disconnect from our spiritual wellbeing.
Birdwatching helps us connect to nature, whether through our bond to the birds or simply immersing ourselves in the outdoors.
65. Gives Life Perspective
Watching a bird gives you a perspective on being a human. That sense of optimism turns to sadness when eggs fail to hatch. Or just the appreciation of life and death in nature. Birdwatching helps you realize that life has ups and downs, and that’s ok. If anything, that bird will teach you to be resilient in any hardship.
66. Let Go Of Expectations
Birdwatching is full of optimism and excitement when you’ll see a bird. But when you don’t, it can be really disappointing. As you progress with your birdwatching, you’ll learn to let go of those expectations. And when you do, you’ll realize that the journey is more important than the outcome.
67. Appreciate Stillness
Out modern world is constantly trying to keep us on the move. Desperate to show us the next trend or funny internet video. Birdwatching is a great way to switch from that fast pace and be still for a while. You’ll quickly realize that staying quiet and still will help you see more birds. That slowed-down pace will help calm your body and mind, even if for a few moments.
68. Connect To Seasons
You can watch birds all year round, but you’ll notice how their behaviors change with the seasons. You’ll start to connect to those seasons by changing your interaction with the birds. That may mean offering different food, ensuring you have a water source, seasons, or even providing a safe habitat for shelter. The seasons will also bring new birds from breeding or migration.
69. Make You Think Of Loved Ones
There is often something very poignant about seeing a striking bird in your yard. Many birds, such as cardinals’, will connect you to the feeling that a loved one is watching over you. This is a spiritual connection you are having and can bring a lot of comfort during moments of grief or sadness.
70. Connect With Spirituality
Birds have long been connected with spirituality and religion. You may feel that your daily interactions with birds are messages from a higher power. This can help give guidance or direction when you feel stuck in life.
Family Benefits of Birdwatching
71. Connect With Family
One of my favorite benefits of birdwatching is its connection with my family. Despite my husband being a complete ‘city boy’ and my kids wanting to be online 24/7, we always find common ground in birdwatching. I now get my teenager telling me which birds she’s seen throughout her day, which opens up a conversation.
72. Teach Children About Respect
Your child will quickly learn to respect nature through birdwatching. You have the perfect teaching opportunity when a bird startles and flies away from them, approaching or being loud.
Tell your child to keep their distance and don’t interfere. That includes leaving nests or eggs alone. We need to raise children to appreciate nature and not disrespect or destroy it.
73. Keep Children Active
We all know that children are getting unhealthy through lack of activity. Getting children outdoors to walk and watch birds or even wander in the yard will keep them fit and healthy.
74. Teaches Children Responsibility
A child can learn about responsibility through birdwatching. That includes teaching them that humans are responsible for ensuring the safety and protection of birds. When humans destroy natural bird habitats, we are responsible for providing alternative foods and shelter sources. Be a role model and pass on all that valuable knowledge you have.
75. Low-Cost Day Out
Bird watching is a great low-cost day out with the kids or even a fun date with a loved one. Make a route, go for a walk, and try to spot as many birds as possible. Children can then get creative and write about or draw the birds they saw.
76. Make Memories
When you spend time with people, then you’ll make memories. You’ll be sure that your kids will remember that time you watched the birds at the feeder in years to come. Or even when you spotted that rare bird on your weekly nature walk.
77. Improve Kids’ communication
Listening to birds is an excellent way for children to advance their communication skills. Listening is an invaluable skill to teach children how to understand, retain and respond to information. These skills will help your child to solve problems better as they grow.
78. Cuts Down Screen Time
Excessive screen time is likely to make your child ‘blinkered’ to the world around them. They lose the skills to observe and experience everyday life or interact with this world. Practicing birdwatching with a child is a great way to combat this. The skills you need for birdwatching are what screen time takes away from children.
79. Increase Brain Function
Taking your kids into nature can increase their cognitive functioning. Even 15 minutes outdoors improves a child’s problem-solving skills. Birding is a great way to introduce those bitesize chunks of nature into your child’s life. It’s even a good compromise for children who are not naturally inclined. [Source]
Skill Developing Benefits of Birdwatching
80. Visual Skills
Identifying birds is one of the primary skills of birdwatching. That means you have to be able to tell a bird’s size, shape, and color. Also, you need to pick up quickly on their behaviors. The more you practice, the more attuned your eyes to bird activity.
81. Listening Skills
Bird watching is more than looking at birds. You’ll find your ears picking up on a song or a call and wondering what species is nearby. Learning bird calls will also help you better identify which bird you’ve seen. Closing your eyes and simply listening to the birds singing is a great way to hone your skills in this area.
82. Patience Skills
Birds are not at your beck and call and will only appear when ready. In fact, some would argue that the anticipation of seeing a bird only makes the experience better. Delay of gratification can help you become more tolerant and give you a feeling of accomplishment.
83. Improve Concentration
Birdwatching can boost your concentration in many different ways. Simply being in nature forces you to slow down and stop all the multitasking you need to do in everyday life. Focusing on identifying a bird will prevent you from being easily distracted and missing a sighting opportunity.
84. Encourage Creativity
There is something about birds that inspires creativity. Whether it’s their many colors or little personality, you’ll be sure to get inspired. You can become more creative from your birdwatching with photography, drawing, painting, storytelling, or creating comedy from your birdwatching experiences.
85. Teaching Skills
Having a passion for birdwatching means you’ll be great at teaching. Why? Because people who are passionate about a topic are usually very inspiring, and the excitement of the subject rubs off on others. Passing on your knowledge to others helps you reflect on your own bird knowledge and continue learning more.
86. Learn Jargon
Jargon is the type of language that specific communities have and use regularly. When you can pick up the particular terms birdwatchers use, you’ll have an instant bond with them. It will make you feel like you are speaking a whole new language which is really rewarding. Check out some of these birder words to get you started.
87. Improved Problem Solving
Your problem-solving skills will be significantly improved when bird watching. One way to challenge this skill is when trying to identify a bird. Sometimes it’s like trying to solve a puzzle. All your observations need to fit together to get a correct ID. Other ways to challenge your problem-solving skills are by finding solutions for problems. Some of these may include bullying birds and pests or getting your yard conditions right to attract the bird you want to see.
88. Learn New Technology
Although bird watching can be really simple, there is an opportunity for you to learn about new technology. Some great birdwatching technology includes optic binoculars, scopes, trail cameras, and high spec digital cameras.
Personal Development Benefits of Birdwatching
89. Habit Forming
When you’re birdwatching, the reward of seeing any type of bird is enough to build habits. You quickly learn to continue filling your feeders, then observing at a specific time, and you get the reward of seeing the birds. Birdwatching can help you develop good habits like waking early, becoming more active, or making time for yourself to relax.
90. Goal Setting
Spotting birds can become quite addictive, and you’ll soon find yourself setting goals to see more and more birds. Joining challenges such as the nationwide birdwatch can help push you to improve your birdwatching skills.
91. Journal Inspiration
Journaling has become quite trendy in the last few years. But birdwatchers have always been great at keeping journals of their birding experiences. These can include details of birds you’ve seen, drawings, or even places you’ve traveled. Journaling can help you document your journey with nature or even your own mental health.
92. Transferable Skills
All these new skills you’re learning from birdwatching can be used in other areas of your life. Your employer, family, and friends will enjoy your improvements in commutation skills, self-control, and problem-solving. Don’t be surprised when they comment on how these are having a positive effect on your life.
93. Reduce Boredom
You’ll never be bored when you start birdwatching. If you ever have time to spare, use it to watch the birds or explore to find more birds. Even in the wee hours and the sun has gone down, listen for any nocturnal activity. Or check out some more Birds and Wild articles to improve your birdwatching knowledge.
94. Better Work-Life Balance
A hobby like birdwatching gives you time to relax and unwind from the daily tasks that you do at work. This is time for yourself to detach from the stress and strains of work life. The benefit of birdwatching for your physical, mental, and emotional, social health can make up for the pressure that your job puts on these areas.
Financial Benefits of Birdwatching
95. Creates Jobs
A survey by the fishing and wildlife service’s found that spending on Bird watching in 2016 created 782,000 jobs and $35 billion in employment income. [Source]
Younger birders may even want to consider turning a passion for birds into a career. Think of something like an ornithologist, wildlife rehabbed, or tour guide. There is even the option for more creativity, such as bird artist, writer, or photographer.
96. Can Be Low Cost
Birdwatching can be completely free. All you need is to take yourself to areas where you’ll see birds and start looking and listening.
Obviously, like any hobby, you can start spending to attract birds to your yard if you want to get more serious about it. You may even want to buy a set of good birding binoculars and a field guide.
97. Buy New Gadgets
Like any hobby, bird watching has plenty of gadgets you can learn to use to improve your skills.
Binoculars may not seem like a good gadget at first. Still, optical binoculars are like two little telescopes to carry around with you. Birdwatching gadgets are innovative and work well alongside modern technology such as your smartphone. It’s never been so easy to capture your bird sighting and keep a memory of them with you forever.
98. Seeing Bird Enjoy Your Equipment
Did you know that spending money on experiences is a way to increase your own happiness? I mean, spending money on yourself is fun. But you can’t deny the joy you feel when you what a bird enjoying a new seed or that new birdbath you’ve installed in your yard. [Source]
99. Bird Watching Good For Economy
There are 45 million birdwatchers in the USA. That results in a lot of money being spent on birdwatching as a bobby. In fact, birdwatching brings in $80 billion for the U.S economy every year. That includes anything from buying feeders and equipment to the expenses of planning a trip away to birdwatch. Birdseed is a $4 billion industry alone. [Source]
100. Support Wildlife Charity
Being involved in birdwatching helps open your eyes to the challenges our national wildlife faces. You realize that they give you so much joy and entertainment that you want to give something back to support conservation efforts.
Two great bird charities you can give back to are:
101. Pets without Bills
Ok, I know that backyard birds aren’t actually pets, but they can give you the same feelings of enjoyment. You get to care for and provide for them the same way you would with a dog or a cat.
In return, they give you hours of entertainment and happiness. The good thing is you don’t have the costly vet, insurance, or grooming expenses.
102. Increases Property Value
Did you know that attracting birds to your yard can add around $32,000 to the price of your property value? The rarer the bird you can attract, the more your property is worth. It’s thought that this may be down to the changes you make to the landscape when trying to attract birds. That means that backyard birdwatching really ups the curb appeal of your home. [Source]
Gardening Benefits of Birdwatching
103. Insect Control
If you want an eco-friendly approach to insect control, then the birds are your answer.
In early spring, even the seed-eating birds are in insect-eating mode. Insects are the perfect food for their growing chicks.
Even if you’re not green-fingered, helping birds thrive has a significant impact on crops. Are you partial to a bit of coffee or wine? Birds help maintain these crops by eating the insects that damage the plant. [Source]
104. Weed Control
Birds can really do their part to help control weeds in your yard. There are birds, such as finches and sparrows, who enjoy weeds seeds as part of their diet. They will hoover up any pesky weed seeds in your yard and prevent them from growing.
105. Improved Landscaping
Attracting more birds to your yard is a sign of a healthy environment. By bringing more plants, shrubs, or trees into your area, you keep a healthy habitat for the birds.
A bird-friendly yard is beautiful to look at and provides you with hours of enjoyment. That may be from keeping busy maintaining the yard, watching birds enjoy your efforts, or entertaining guests.
106. Pollination of plants
Birds play a massive role in the pollination of plants. We need pollination birds like hummingbirds to ensure plants grow. That plays an essential role in ensuring humans have enough food to survive.
In the USA, pollinating birds make sure that wildflowers grow. They help improve the overall ecology and success of a beautiful yard. [Source]
Benefits of Birdwatching for Birds
107. Keep them healthy
Birds are becoming more and more adapted to urban living spaces. But that isn’t necessarily a good thing. Birds are adapting to eating nutritionally poor food sources.
Keeping green spaces in your yard will provide fruits and insects for the birds. Offering nutrient-packed seeds in regularly maintained feeders is another excellent way to support local birds.
108. Give shelter
Birdwatching in your yard often leads to you wanting to do more to attract birds to your yard repeatedly.
Adding birdhouses with a camera is a great way to watch the progress of a bird raising its chicks.
Providing shelter can also help bird species to survive in a long, cold, and harsh winter.
109. Help endangered species
Being involved with birdwatching means there are many ways you can help endangered species from going extinct.
Helping to support natural habitats is a significant first step. You can also donate to a bird conservation charity to put their funds back into supporting the birds.
Taking part in national yearly bird surveys is a collective effort from birdwatchers to give lots of data on how best to support rare and endangered bird species in the wild.
110. Food source
Generally, birds don’t need humans for food. They have evolved to find food for themselves in their environment. But climate change and construction often put an end to that. Putting feeders in your yard can help provide a safe and reliable food source for birds who have lost green spaces or trying to survive winter.
Final thoughts
We’ve reached the end of our massive list of the benefits of bird watching.
We discussed the positive effects birdwatching can have on your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Plus, we’ve earned how birdwatch helps the birds, environment, society, and economy. And what’s more, a birdwatching hobby will help you develop lots of new skills, spark creativity, and bring benefits to your family.
I hope you found this helpful guide, and perhaps you discovered a few new facts about bird watching.
Let me know in the comment below what you enjoy most about birdwatching.