Bird Watchers!
According to the most recent studies, birdwatching on a global scale has never been so popular. Of course, as many of us know, the scientific study of birds is called ornithology, and thus, those that study birds as a profession are referred to as ornithologists. However, amateur bird lovers, i.e. those that take up birdwatching as a hobby, are most commonly referred to as “birdwatchers”, “birders” or more colloquially, “twitchers”.
One thing seems certain, there have never been as many bird lovers in the world, as there are at the present time. According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, there are around 45 million birdwatchers (13.5% of the population) in America alone. In the UK, another country where ‘birding’ is hugely popular, the figure is estimated to be well over 6 million.
Bird watching is the viewing of birds in their natural habitat in the wild, whereby the birdwatcher records all details of the sighting. Many bird watchers start a bird checklist and tick off the birds that have been observed. It’s a hobby that can become highly competitive as serious birders will often go on bird-watching holidays abroad as a way of boosting their all-time ‘species’ count.
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Do you have any aspirations in the birding world? If so, based on the number of bird species, here’s a run-down on the top five worldwide destinations:
1. Columbia
Columbia covers a total area of 1,141,748 sq km (440,831 sq mi). The South American country has a population of approximately 52 million people. According to a 2019 Birdlife International study, Columbia is also home to 1,858 species of bird, the most of any country. Of these, it was reported that 126 of the species were identified as “threatened”.
2. Peru
Peru covers a total area of 1,285,216 sq km (496,225 sq mi). The South American country has a population of approximately 32 million people. According to a 2019 Birdlife International study, Peru is also home to 1,878 species of bird, the second most of any country. Of these, it was reported that 119 of the species were identified as “threatened”.
3. Brazil
Brazil covers a total area of more than 8.5 million sq km (3,300,000 sq mi). The South American country has a population of over 217 million people. According to a 2019 Birdlife International study, Brazil is also home to 1,813 species of bird, the third most of any country. Of these, it was reported that 175 of the species were identified as “threatened”.
4. Indonesia
Indonesia is made up of some 17,000 islands that significantly include Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and large parts of Borneo and New Guinea. The South East Asian country covers a total area of 1,904,569 sq km (735,358 sq mi). With approximately 280 million people, it’s the world’s fourth most populace country in the world. According to a 2019 Birdlife International study, Indonesia is also home to 1,711 species of bird, the fourth most of any country. Of these, it was reported that 160 of the species were identified as “threatened”.
5. Ecuador
Ecuador covers a total area of 283,561 sq km (109,484 sq mi). The South American country has a population of approximately 18 million people. According to a 2019 Birdlife International study, Ecuador is also home to 1,622 species of bird, the fifth most of any country. Of these, it was reported that 106 of the species were identified as “threatened”.
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