A recent article published in the Telegraph described how bird watching is now a popular and trendy activity for young people. Although birding has often been deemed an activity for middle age people, a new survey in Britain discovered that an astonishing 32% of men aged 16-25 have been birding.
The Telegraph article comes on the heels of a Traveller magazine article that labeled bird watching as 2017's "unlikeliest" trendy activity. Traveller magazine described how popular musicians such as the former lead singer of Blur are avid enthusiasts of bird watching, although astute observers may counter that he is not exactly in the Millenial demographic.
It's not just young men who have recently taken to bird watching. Growing numbers of younger women are now organizing online, setting up group discussions such as the one named "Next Generation Birders", proof positive that birding is increasingly becoming a popular activity for both genders. The Telegraph reported on these statistics with their trademark sarcasm, quipping that young "hipsters" wearing high-waisted pants will soon be posting photographs on popular social media platforms of the birds they've recorded.
For young adults interested in learning more about bird watching, the Telegraph article gave a short list of the relevant terms needed to participate in this hobby. One term described was "twitchers," described as individuals who travel long distances to see rare birds in their natural habitats. One such example of bird watchers classified as "twitchers" was given, describing a 2013 pilgrimage to a remote British island to view the needle-tailed swift, a bird species documented just eight times over the past 170 years.
Other advice that was given to prospective birders by the Telegraph included the advice that hiding out of sight in marked bird areas is not a prerequisite for enjoying the activity. The Telegraph admonished would-be birders to pay attention wherever they were in their daily life as interesting avian species can be spotted even in crowded urban areas. Last, but definitely not least, the Telegraph admonished all newcomers to bird watching to adopt a mentor, a person who has years of experience in recording birds. The Telegraph noted that even powerful DSLR cameras are of little use if you don't know where and how to point the lens to get the best results.
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