Introduction
While birds come in many shapes, sizes and species, serious bird watchers and fanciers will certainly agree about one thing; that birds happen to be one of the most beautiful and spirited animals in the animal kingdom. An appreciation for birds usually comes naturally to almost everyone who has ever watched a bird soar in the air and swoop down mid flight, acts which are so full of grace and so immensely exhilarating to watch, that they warm and excite the hearts of anyone witnessing them.
History
Bird watching, in fact, happens to be an extremely popular hobby amongst both young and old people who like to spot and watch bird activities as a source of recreation and enjoyment. While many people prefer to bird watch through their naked eyes, in the past years there has been an immense surge in the use of instruments such as binoculars in bird-spotting, as it allows the watchers a clearer and more intimate view of the birds and their activities.
Features
Although over centuries, many animals and their different species have evolved and blossomed, the past few decades have been hard for smaller and more susceptible animals such as birds. The climate changes and harsh pollution have contributed to a staggering 80 percent decline in the number of some avian species in America alone in the last 5 decades. Paired with the ever growing urban sprawl and large buildings, the number of American bird has seriously dwindled. For the American bird watcher living in a city or an urban area, watching a bird in its natural habitat and setting has become a difficult task and most serious hobbyists go to great lengths and visit national parks and other areas to continue their hobbies in their spare time.
While there are many places that people in America can go to bird watch, one of the most famous places for American bird watchers is Orchid Island in Indian River County in Florida. Other famous places include wildlife parks and nature conservatories such as the J.N Darling national wildlife refuge in Florida. Many American bird, such as ospreys, kites, hummingbirds, cranes, nightjars, eagles and many types of ducks, geese and swans can be found in these places. However, if you want to see American bird such as bald eagles, king fishers, egrets and herons there are fewer places more enchanting and worthy of your visit than the Everglades. Here many exotic and hard to come across American bird can be found and observed in their natural habitat. For others who wish to see other rare American bird species such as sage grouses and a vast number and species of owls, Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming is another place that you must seriously consider visiting.
Tips and comments
Although all these places offer a great opportunity to most people, and is an opportunity to commune with nature while at the same time enjoy great outdoor activities, all of us are not so lucky and between our families and jobs, cannot take sufficient time out for our hobbies. For those of you out there, it is suggested that you visit a park or conservatory near where you live. It does not have to be a necessarily large area or even one that is out of the way. For instance, people living in New York can visit Central Park on a regular basis and be surprised to see the large variety of birds that can be observed there.
