If you like it outside and enjoy wildlife, chances are you know a birder or are one yourself. In fact – recent research from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has found that around 100 million Americans are birdwatchers, making up over ⅓ of the adult U.S. population. And if you already have an outdoor hobby, you might be even more likely to look to the skies and find fascination in these winged wonders – more than half of birders in the United States are also hunters or anglers.
There are a lot of ways to go birding. From watching birds in your backyard with binoculars, or bringing a bird guide with you on walks, to planning trips to find a specific bird, birding is a hobby that is helping make us happier and improve the economy all at once.
Birding is for everyone
Not only is this hobby popular, but it also brings people together, from different places, of different ages, and demographics. Forty-four percent of all birders are over 55 years old, and around 30 percent of people aged 16 to 34 participate as well. Birding also engages people from a variety of racial and ethnic groups, including Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, and more.
Investing in birds is an investment in us all
This mass of birders generates benefits beyond recreation and conservation. The birding industry generates $279 billion in industry output annually, including $107 billion in trip expenses and birding equipment, generating 1.4 million jobs and $90 billion in job income – and billions more in tax revenue.
Another study by researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Audubon Alaska found that birders spent close to $400 million a year in Alaska alone, supporting thousands of jobs. This type of economic impact cannot be understated – it benefits local communities, encourages community-driven conservation and ecotourism, and spurs appreciation for nature and birds across the country.
Birds make us happier and healthier
Birding has been shown to improve our mental health and make us happier. The 2022 USFWS report includes research showing that spending time around birds can significantly reduce stress and anxiety and benefits people with mental health issues such as depression. Further, spending time outdoors, observing nature, and engaging in light exercise (e.g., walking) improves well-being and feelings of peace.
Of course, birding benefits species and habitat conservation as well. As more people notice and appreciate the wildlife around them, they become more likely to support conservation work and engage in conservation actions. And when we address species declines and restore critical bird habitats, we also improve these landscapes for people and other wildlife – benefitting us all.
Sources
- Leffer, L. (2025, March 17). Birding is a booming hobby-and a big business. Audubon. https://www.audubon.org/magazine/birding-booming-hobby-and-big-business
- Unpublished results from 2022 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. Lord, John, and Leonard, Jerry.
- U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis, Addendum to the 2022 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation.
