I think some of you are being a bit hard on the figures from this report
because of your definition of a "birder".
In the UK there are relatively small numbers of "birders" (though large
compared with other countries) but much larger numbers of "birdwatchers". The
main difference being that a "birder" watches birds as his/her main hobby and
will go on birding-related holidays.. A "birdwatcher" may be anything from
someone who regularly goes to a nearby reserve to see what's about to someone
who simply watches birds on the feeder through the kitchen window. This latter
group will often be counted amongst your "general interest" tourists as they do
not generally go on birding-related holidays.
(My own personal way of distinguishing the two breeds is whether they can tell
the difference between a Willow Warbler and a Chiffchaff (or indeed have ever
heard of them)!).
I have recently given a "Garden Birds" talk to three local groups, a Women's
Institute, a Garden Club and a Pensioners Club, and have been surprised at the
amount of knowledge and experience amongst the attendees though most of them
would not have defined themselves as birdwatchers. So maybe there is even
another category one level further down - people who are interested but don't
consider their interest sufficiently great to deserve a name!.
Another point - this report did define a "birdwatcher" as someone who had
travelled specifically to see birds. In the UK this question would catch all
the many families who regularly to go to a local bird reserve as a "day out".
Bird reserves here are easily accessible, safe and interesting places to go and
many people who are not really birdwatchers will go there often in the hope of
seeing something colourful and exciting such as a Kingfisher. It could be the
same in the USA. (In fact, this generates its own problems - RSPB reserves in
the UK are very busy and many "serious birders" no longer go there).
One last point - any queries about the economics of birdwatching are put into
focus by the British Birdwatching Fair. This year there are 8 marquees with 392
stands (it seems an unreal number but I have just counted them on the plan!).
This includes 46 stands showing bird/wildlife art, 17 selling optics and 116
related to bird and wildlife tourism. Also two tents providing a continuous
program of talks plus workshops, quizzes, celebrity book signings etc (we do
have quite a lot of TV wildlife celebrities here). I am sure the organisers
could give you attendance and turnover figures if they would be useful.
Alas, the BirdFair is too far away for us to easily get to - maybe just as well
as we would only spend money - there go the economics again!
Rosemry Royle
Wales, UK
==============================www.birding-aus.org
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