Humans have been bird watching since time immemorial， but only in the last few decades has it become a full blown hobby.

人类观赏鸟儿的历史由来已久，但直到最近的几十年，观鸟才成为一项发展成熟的爱好。

There is a reason why so many people are willing to spend time and money to look at birds， and once you try it， you’ll understand why.

许多人愿为观鸟投入时间和金钱，自有其道理——你只需尝试一次，便会明白原因何在。

What is birding？

什么是观鸟？

Bird watching is basically an activity wherein birds are observed for the purpose of recreation or citizen science.

就其本质而言，观鸟既是休闲娱乐活动，也是公众科学实践。

This is the most basic bird watching definition， but aside from simply watching or listening to birds， most birders will go a few steps further by documenting their observations， identifying the birds they see， and sharing their findings with fellow bird enthusiasts.

这是对观鸟最基本的定义，然而在实践中，大多数爱好者并不满足于简单的观其形态或闻其鸣唱。他们还会记录自己的观察，识别见到的鸟类，并与同好分享发现。

But regardless of the activities that bird watchers pursue， at its core， birding meaning is inextricably rooted in an appreciation and sense of wonder at the avian1 species. This is what everyone from novice bird watcher to expert birder has in common.

但是无论观鸟爱好者从事哪项活动，观鸟的核心意义源于对鸟类由衷的欣赏和惊叹。这也是所有观鸟爱好者（从新手到老手）共有的特点。

Bird watchers have a collector’s mindset. Instead of collecting stamps or coins， they collect records of the birds they’ve seen—it could be notes， lists， photographs， or videos.

观鸟爱好者往往有一种“收藏家精神”，只不过他们收集的不是邮票和硬币，而是通过记录笔记、制作清单，拍摄照片或视频，来记录他们见过的鸟类。

Types of birding

观鸟的不同形式

Bird watching is much more than just literally watching birds. Birding activities can range from simple to complex. Some require very little forethought， while others need elaborately detailed planning. What you choose depends on the time and resources you are willing to allot to the hobby， but each of these gives you a chance to appreciate birds.

观鸟的内涵远不止字面意义上的“看鸟”。