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More Americans Are
Birding By Robert Winkler Nearly a third of Americans age 16 and older—70 million people—fed, photographed, and observed wildlife in 2006, and they spent $45 billion doing so, according to the latest data of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Collected by the U.S. Census Bureau, the data was published in the fall of 2007 in The 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. The Fish and Wildlife Service sponsors the survey, conducted every five years. The data reflects interviews with more than 11,000 people nationwide who said they watched wildlife in 2006. According to the 2006 survey, since 2001 the ranks of wildlife watchers swelled by eight percent, and spending on bird food and wildlife-watching equipment such as binoculars, cameras, and bird feeders rose by 18 percent. "Of all wildlife in the United States, birds attracted the biggest following," says the survey, which defines wildlife watching as "closely observing, feeding, and photographing wildlife, visiting public parks around the home because of wildlife, and maintaining plantings and natural areas around the home for the benefit of wildlife." The survey found "startling" that America's 47.7 million birders on average spent part of 115 days in 2006 pursuing their interest. It defines two wildlife-watching categories: around the home and more than a mile from home. Eighty-eight percent of birders (almost 42 million) observe birds around the home, while 42 percent (almost 20 million) take birding trips. Among all around-the-home wildlife watchers—who after birds enjoy (in order of popularity) mammals, insects and spiders, reptiles and amphibians, and fish—the numbers of photographers and visitors to local sanctuaries jumped 17 and 21 percent, respectively, between 1996 and 2006. Numbers of wildlife watchers who feed, observe, and maintain plantings or natural areas for wildlife also grew during this period, while away-from-home wildlife watching dropped, but none of these changes was statistically significant. Overall wildlife-watching expenditures increased 21 percent. Other survey highlights: -Around-the-home wildlife watching is most popular in the West-North-Central region (the Dakotas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska) and New England. The West-North-Central region also leads in away-from-home watching. -Females participate more than males in around-the-home wildlife watching (54 vs. 46 percent), while males participate more than females in away-from-home watching (51 vs. 49 percent). -Wildlife watching is most popular among people age 35 to 64. -Wildlife watchers tend to be urban, college educated, and high-earning. -More than 90 percent of wildlife watchers are white. -Maine has the highest wildlife-watching participation rate of any state—56 percent of the population. -The number of hunters declined between 2001 and 2006 from 14 million to 12.5 million. Andrew Page, director of hunting affairs for the Humane Society of the United States, sees a connection between the waning of hunting and the waxing of wildlife watching. In a New York Times interview, he said it signifies that "culture is shifting, and we think that's a good thing." Page himself gave up hunting in his late teens after realizing he could enjoy wildlife without killing it. More info: National
Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation
Copyright © 2008 Robert
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