The first ever use of the term “Bird Watching” dates the back to early 1900s even though the activity had already been around for almost a century. Thanks to Shakespeare the term “Birding” came into the written world much earlier than that, though the meaning has changed vastly since then.
Then what really is Birding? What is Bird Watching? Are these simply not synonyms?
Bird Watching literally means observing birds in the wild. Birding also means the same but with a little twist. And no, those two are not synonyms.
In the simplest of terms Bird Watching means looking at birds while Birding means looking for them. You see while Birding it’s not even necessary to see the bird, just hearing its’ call is enough. Shakespearean Birding meant hunting though. So yes, over the years along with meaning it’s nature has also changed from a violent to a peaceful one.
There’s another term called “Twitching”. It is a British term which means “the pursuit of a previously located rare bird”. Twitchers are more occupied with ticking off a particularly rare bird rather than enjoying everything that’s on offer in that area.
Bird watching evolved from its utilitarian state into an aesthetic one from the 1880s onwards. It first became popular in Great Britain during the Victorian era and later on spread to North America and some Commonwealth countries. This change in interest was further fueled by works of Gilbert White, Thomas Bewick, George Montagu, and John Clare.
Another major revolution occurred in the means used for this activity. For 19th century watchers, a gun was indispensable because the only way to identify a new species was to shoot the bird down and then study its corpse. Eventually, guns found themselves being replaced by binoculars and I mean that was a good day for everybody.
Slowly with progress in science and technology, better and advanced equipment are being introduced which are making bird watching a fairly smooth, pleasant and peaceful activity.
Since times immemorial birds have been a part of our life. They have occupied an almost sacred place in our religions, in our culture and folklore. Symbolism is incomplete without them! They are the epitome of freedom, of breaking free! Bird symbols are all around us- on cars, on sports teams, on drinks, stamps, songs, poems, paintings, clothing, greeting cards and so much more.
Different birds have been carriers of different beliefs. Like crows, for example, signify bad omen as they are supposed to be from the “other world” which carry messages from ancestors’ souls. White birds are a good omen. In fact stories around birds have been used by writers time and again. Tribal people read the flight of birds to look for danger and to predict the weather.
Importance of birds in Hindu mythology can easily be gauged by the number of instances where they play a crucial role and by the positions, they occupy as the sidekicks of multiple gods and goddesses. Owls, peacocks, swans, vultures, you name it! You can find all these and many more dispersed throughout ancient stories and texts.
Do you know that heron, crane, pigeon and many others are emulated in yoga poses? And pigeons! The very first postal service was made possible by pigeons. This art is more than 2000 years old.
Many countries have a national bird. India’s national bird is the peacock. New Zealand’s is the Kiwi.
The point to be noted here is that birds and mankind have been woven together in the fabric of life and this is free of all boundaries, be it religious, cultural or geographical. Greek Goddess Athena has an owl as her sidekick and early Egyptian gods are supposed to have animal characteristics. Native American folklore is filled with stories about birds and so are many cave paintings around the world.
Perks of being a bird watcher
Let’s talk about the plus points you get when you watch birds.
The Birding jargon describes a “lifer” as “the first sighting of a bird by an individual birder”. A bird species can be a lifer for a person only once. Apparently, this is a one-time thing. Often Birders keep a life list and when they spot a new species which they have never seen before, they scratch it off their list and call it a lifer.
Lifer (pronounced as a cipher) is also known as Life Bird, Tick Bird or Tick.
Different birders make different rules as to which species will count as a lifer for them. Since this is an individual thing, there’s no hard and fast rule.
Though, if you wish to submit your life list to some Bird watching organization for record-keeping or competitive purposes, you’ll have to follow the organizations’ rules.
There’s one general rule I forgot to mention: Only birds observed in the wild can be counted as lifers. Birds kept in zoos, as pets, dead or captive, don’t count.
Some people like to challenge themselves as such they level up their game of lifers by setting conditions like hearing the call of the bird and seeing it will make it eligible to be a lifer. Or maybe only after they see both the genders of a species will they call it a lifer.
This is all in your hand. You are the game master as well as the player. You make the rules.
How do birds fly? What is it that gives them this ability when we are unable to do so? How many kinds of feathers do birds have? Who gave that bird that name? Answers to all these questions can be found here. Know your Bird
What is the equipment that you need? Honestly, just binoculars and a field guide. Some might say that scopes or monocular come in essentials only, I think it depends on how far you are willing to look to spot a bird. Scopes are no doubt a bit pricey but they are coming down the price ladder while climbing up the quality one.
They say identification is the most difficult part of birding. What’s the best way to learn? Practice with an experienced birder. But not everyone can do that right? So what to do in such cases? Well, how about some self-study? Books, field guides, magazines, articles, blogs, there’s so much material out there. I know it can get confusing, so to avoid the confusion and still learn about identification in the simplest of ways, why don’t you head here? Identification of Birds
This article will help you to understand bird photography. How to capture the bird on your camera just as you imagined. Bird photography article covers Photography Equipment, camera setting, perspective, composition, light, etc.
Bird Birding books of India article covers best birding books available in the market, their key features. How each book can help you to identify the birds, bird species, distribution maps.
Planning your next birding trip, and not sure who are the best guides in that area? Are you in a fix that your birding guide has the right credentials for making a successful trip or not? Now you can choose the best guide available at the location.
Maguri Bill is located in Tinsukia in Assam, located in the northeast region of India. It is a beautiful swampy area created by the confluence of the rivers Dibru, Lohit, and Brahmaputra. This swamp created by these three mighty rivers has become the house for a variety of flora and fauna. Located close to the area is the Dibru Saikhowa National Park. The name “beel” has been given to the piece of land by the local fishermen after a certain kind of catfish.
Dehing Pataki Wildlife Sanctuary located in Assam has rainforests that have given way to picturesque landscapes, plush fields, and an exotic variety of flora and fauna. Its nurturing environment also poses for a popular bird-watching destination in Assam. Several rare species reside in niches of trees in the grasslands here.
Here is a guide on how to make the best out of your excursion to Dehing Pataki Wildlife Sanctuary.
