|
The History of Bird
Watching
The question of when
bird watching or birding was officially considered a past
time, hobby, or sport is hard to answer. No one really knows
the true date that birding was defined, but many believe it to
be around 1968. This isn't just a lucky guess; it's believed
to have become an actual past time in 1968 due to the first
known birding publication was produced in that year.
This publication was called The Bird Watcher's Digest and
could be describes as more of a newsletter than
anything. There were only about 5 pages of literature,
but it was the first official document of a bird watching
nature. This new literature was founded by the "American
Bird Watchers Association" or the ABA as they deemed
themselves. With this newly proclaimed association quickly
came America's official interest in bird watching.
Once the American Bird Watchers Association
was established so was a membership status. You could
buy a years' membership for the nominal fee of $3.00. So
what did this newly found literature encompass for the sport
of bird watching? For the first time in publication,
there was a publication not only providing documentation about
birds, but also listing the rules for this new found
sport. In 1969 the title changed from The Bird Watcher's
Digest to simply Birding as became the popular term for bird
watching, and is still in print today. The magazine
prints and distributes their issues every other month to their
readers.
As more issues were published the official
guidelines for birding were defined. Also in 1969 it was
proposed that the ABA that originally stood for the American
Bird Watchers Association be changed to the American Birding
Association. By the end of that year there were already
128 members participating in the ABA as well as newly
appointed officers in the organization. Between the ABA and
the Birding publication, birding was becoming a popular sport.
With the rising popularity would also bring a change in both
the publication as well as the organization.
In the short period of three years the
publication was ready to take on a more professional
appearance to the bird watching world. Birding was made
into a more journal like publication in 1971 and no longer
took on the appearance of the mere newsletter form that it
originated from. The new publication gave readers a variety of
articles to read. There was a total expansion on pieces
that delved into the true art of birding, no more were there
just species lists and opinion pieces, but true reporting
pieces that brought a new form of excitement.
The July/August edition of Birding in 1973
brought quite a buzz to the birding community. It was
the first issue to have pictures printed in the
publication. It was also the first issue to report on
the first convention held by the ABA in Kenmare, North
Dakota. The edition printed in July/August help define
many of the new aspects of the ABA such as their checklist
report, newly elected leaders of the ABA, and the newly
ratified laws of the ABA. This new issue was popular for
many reasons and was a wealth of information to the birding
community that was quickly growing in number. The ABA's
membership had grown from their original 128 members in 1969
to 1,872 in 1974, a difference of 1744 in as little as five
years.
The 1970's brought some evident changes to
both Birding and the ABA. In 1976 for the first time
since the first 5 page publication in 1968, Birding printed a
publication that was 400 pages; a vast different from its
meager beginnings. Also, the ABA recognized their second
president, Arnold Small. In 1977 the cover of Birding began to
take on a different appearance, printing beautiful covers that
awed many bird enthusiasts. There was also a bit of
disturbance in the birding community between east coast versus
west coast. It seems that many were annoyed with the
Californian birding styles that were constantly being
praised.
From its beginnings in 1968 to 1988 Birding
had gotten behind schedule in its publications as well as
harder to understand. It was up to Editor Paul Lehman to
bring the journal back to its origins and back on track. He
focused on making the magazine easier to understand for
readers and outlined a number of focal points to expand
on. In 1989 Lehman made good on his commitment and came
out with a very different looking magazine that boasted a
completely new layout. Lehman helped take the magazine back to
being the true form of communication for the birding
community.
In 1992 the ABA focused on the demographics of
their member. They soon realized that a majority of its
members were over 40, as a whole, they were getting
older. Alarmed with the statistics, they focused on
gaining a younger demographic by offering reduced membership
as well as youth camps. They realized that without some sort
of change, the sport of birding could begin to dwindle.
Although membership was up to 10,200 active members, the
concern of gaining young birders was still an issue for the
ABA community.
It being 2007, almost four decades have passed
since the first publication of The Bird Watcher's Digest¸ now
known as Birding. The hopes of the ABA have been recognized,
and the art of birding is rapidly growing among North America
and Canada. As many have been taking notice, with growth
also comes change. The new birders don't necessarily
hold on to the same ideals as the older generations of
birders. The new generation is also more focused on the
newly emerging technology that many old timers might shrug
away from. The Birding magazine is also feeling the
impact of the new generation due to their updated staffing
crew. Change is in the air both in the ABA community as
well as Birding publications, but change is not always a bad
thing, with change comes a new opportunity for all of those in
the birding community.
Home|Page2|Page3
| 