Exploring the Ozarks Outdoors: freshare.net

Twenty Percent of Americans are Birdwatchers

By Robert J. Korpella

First posted on 08-04-2009


A new report from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says that one in every five Americans engages in birdwatching. The study, entitled, “Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis,” shows that the percentage of U.S. citizens who enjoy watching birds has remained steady at 20 percent since 1996.

Birdwatching is most popular in the South with 33 percent of that region’s population participating. However, none of the top five birdwatching states was in the South: Montana (40 percent), Maine (39 percent), Vermont (38 percent), Minnesota (33 percent) and Iowa (33 percent).

The Ozarks has an above average number of birders with Missouri 11th on the list at 30 percent, Arkansas 15th with 28 percent and Oklahoma 19th with 26 percent.

According to the survey, 42 percent of birders will travel to take part in their pastime while 88 percent engage in the activity from their own backyards.

The Birding study is conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in conjunction with state wildlife agencies and a number of nationwide conservation organizations.

The full text of the report report can be found in a PDF file located at: at http://library.fws.gov/Pubs/birding_natsurvey06.pdf.

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