Birdwatching is a great way to explore our surroundings and to better understand ourselves. It is a physical activity, which helps people to train attention, patience, develop hearing and memory, as well as realize creative potential.
The purpose of birdwatching may vary from reflecting on the beauty and diversity of nature, having a scientific interest, playing games to first find or name the bird to creation of photography masterpieces.
The History of Birdwatching
It is generally known that birdwatching originated in Europe in the 19th century. However, people had been fascinated by observing birds long before that. Even Aristotle, in the 3rd century BCE, was interested in swallows nesting under the roof of his house. But this phenomenon began to become widespread in the late 19th century in Great Britain.
Observing birds is a captivating process, and English aristocrats and intellectuals became obsessed with this activity. Moreover, they made a huge contribution to science by sharing the data about the birds found by them with professional ornithologists.
Soon the wave of birdwatching reached the United States, where the first competitions among bird enthusiasts were organized. Here birdwatching became an alternative to hunting, which was popular during that time. Instead of competing to see who could catch more geese and ducks, people now competed in their ability to spot and identify more birds.
Gradually, people from other countries also became interested in birdwatching. Nowadays, it is likely that there is no country without ornithologists. Birdwatching tours contribute significally to the budgets of many countries, as well as attract large numbers of foreign tourists interested in seeing rare birds.
What Do You Need for Birdwatching?
Like any other hobby, birdwatching requires some specific equipment. The list of necessary equipment can be quite long, but it is best to start with just two essential items: binoculars and a guide.
Without a guide it will be impossible to identify the birds you meet. It helps to learn their names, age and gender. Gadget lovers can still download digital versions of guides from Google Play or the App Store. However, for bird identification the best versions of guides remain the classic, printed ones.
Birds of Armenia
Armenia is an excellent destination for ornithologists. There are more than 350 species of birds in Armenia. For a country with such a small area, this number is extremely large. But despite this number, many bird species are on the verge of extinction. Today, around 100 bird species are listed in the new Red Book of Armenia.
