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Sea
Watching
The
type of bird watching where observers are based at a coastal area
and watch birds out at, or moving over, the sea is called
seawatching. Organizations which are actively involved in
seawatching include the British Trust for Ornithology and the Royal
Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) in the United Kingdom,
and the National Audubon Society and American Birding Association in
the United States. There are also statewide and local Audubon
organizations that are active in the U.S. Bird Life International is
a significant global organization of bird conservation.
Many birders are involved with the censuses of bird populations and
their migratory habits. These are sometimes specific to individual
species and sometimes all of the birds in a given area (as in a
Christmas Bird Count) are tallied. This "citizen science" can help
identify environmental threats to the health and safety of the
birds, or it can also help assess the results of environmental
management proposals intending to guarantee the continued existence
of at-risk species or encourage theproliferation of species for
beatific or ecological reasons.
The more scientific aspect of the hobby is a feature of ornithology.
Increasing seasonal bird populations can be a good indicator of
biodiversity or the quality of different environments. Some species
may be pursued as vermin,often illegally. An example of this is the
the Hen Harrier in Britain wherein, under false pretenses, it was
claimed that the predatory species increase in number at the expense
of other species of birds, insects, or smaller mammals. However, in
most instances, the reverse applies, that the population of
predatory species is controlled by theabundance of the prey species.
There are scientific reasons for some bird counts in specific
geographic areas.
Photography has always been an enjoyable part of birding. However,
in the past the cost of good cameras and long lenses made this an
often semi-professional interest. But with the arrival of affordable
digital cameras, which can be used with binoculars or a telescope (a
technique known as digiscoping), this has become a much more
widespread and interesting addition to the hobby.
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