Comments on: Can Birding Ever Become “Mainstream”?

By: Birdpost - Social Networking for Birders [Review] | Birdfreak: The Bird Conservation Blog

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 14:24:21 +0000

[...] And amazingly enough, Birdpost was featured on the Techcrunch 50 Best Startups, created by Techcrunch, an extremely popular blog. According to Techcrunch, Birdpost received $300,000 in funding. Perhaps birding is becoming a bit more mainstream. [...]

By: The Zen Birdfeeder

The Zen Birdfeeder — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 14:07:06 +0000

Birdfreak – Hats off to you and others like Mon@rch who welcome and support bloggers like me who cater to those that are not “hard-core” birders. I feel at home on your blog!

By: The Birdfreak Team

The Birdfreak Team — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 03:22:26 +0000

The Zen Birdfeeder – Good point! Birding should never get too elite, especially if we want it to go mainstream. All birders should be respected and respectful despite what skill level they are.

It wasn’t too long ago that we became hard-core birders. We depend on sharing knowledge with other birders and never stop learning new things.

Backyard habitats are really important, to resident birds as well as tired migrants.

By: The Zen Birdfeeder

The Zen Birdfeeder — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 23:29:37 +0000

May I suggest one more point, and that is that all birders, from “hard-core” to “basic” should respect each other if we expect non-birders to respect us all.
Not everyone can be a hard-core birder, for any number of reasons. And basic birders care just as much about birds and should not be looked down upon by those are able to or inclined to travel the world to find birds or those that can identify birds by song only.
We’re all in this together – seeking out and/or attracting birds in order to enjoy the sight and sound of them. And hopefully, we all work to protect birds and the habitats they need.

By: Larry

Larry — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 23:54:05 +0000

Wow! That post was excellent-You expressed your points very well.-I talk about birding to whoever shows any interest.-I wouldn’t be worried about overcrowding the birding spots.-If not birders, there would just be other people to take our place in the same park.-I think birds are a little more tolerant than we give them credit for some times.-As long as we pass along a little bit of birding ethics to new birders.

By: The Birdfreak Team

The Birdfreak Team — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 13:24:25 +0000

Daniel – Keep up the good work of promoting birds in Honduras… I guess if only tourists come it isn’t too bad of a thing as long as they help conserve the habitat… I’m sure more local people will be interested as it grows!!

Patrick – I’m glad that the World Series of Birding gets good coverage but since we are lacking big events like that in the Midwest, most people (and even many birders) have no idea what it is.

Corey – Sadly, I have watched part of the Rock-Paper-Scissors, more out of dumbfoundedness. I wish ESPN would show a big birding event. I guess it just doesn’t hold the excitement as paper covering rock.

~Birdfreak~

By: Corey

Corey — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 17:38:21 +0000

Birding should be mainstream…I just don’t understand why ESPN had coverage of a Rock paper Scissors tournament (I am not making this up) but never covers the World Series of Birding. Local newspapers’ outdoors columnists are almost always hunting-oriented but far more people are birders than hunters.
It’s enough to drive a birder crazy!

By: Patrick

Patrick — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 16:51:14 +0000

Great points across the board. I think the publicity of events like the World Series of Birding really helps. Every May it receives pretty good coverage in newspapers and on the radio, but not so much on large TV markets. Even with that bit of publicity, I always get a lot more questions from non-birders about the event and they always seem to have a genuine interest in it.

I went through a period where I didn’t tell people I was a birder. I’ve gotten over it and I enjoy explaining to people what it is. I always try to get them to come on a field trip. Hopefully one day that will work!

By: Daniel

Daniel — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 14:55:32 +0000

Thats what im trying here in Honduras. to make birding more a hobbie for people looking for a new experience in the outdoors…but to this moment only foreigners take part in such activities, just a couple of nationals in the club, there is a huge resistance to change in this sort of thing.

Almost all birders in country are from the states and almost every birder that visits us is also from the States…..maybe in the US birding isnt mainstream but it sure is a powerful recreational hobbie for millions of Americans.