I've been thinking about getting into birdwatching, but I'm worried that people will see me as a huge nerd. Any advice?
Birdwatching is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. Who cares what people think!
I know, right? Tell me, what's the difference between birdwatching and like, ornithology? Aren't they the same thing?
Ornithology is actually a branch of zoology that focuses on the study of birds.
Ah, so birdwatching is definitely for the casual person. Why is it that it's such an "old person" hobby? Feel like I only ever see the elderly do it.
I really don't know. Birdwatching actually takes a significant amount of hearing ability since finding a lot of bird species require hearing more than the ye.
Ah true, and I guess being able to distinguish among lots of different types of birds. Speaking of which, how many different kinds are there?
There are approximately 10000 living species of birds.
Wow! Imagine knowing 10000 different bird calls and being able to tell exactly which call belongs to which bird. Talk about a talent, right?
Yes! A way to recognize the difference between bird songs and bird calls is based on length, complexity, and context.