Yousif Attia wasnB次元官网网址檛 exactly a typical teenager. He had always been fascinated by birds, and he wanted to participate in a local Christmas bird count B次元官网网址� an annual event where people across North America note the number of fowl in the Western hemisphere.
No one at his Calgary high school shared quite the same passion for ornithology, but fortunately it was the late 1990s and local birdwatching groups were just a few clicks away on the internet. Attia found his community.
B次元官网网址淚 found a mentor who kind of took me under his wing, as far as driving me around and taking me on Christmas bird counts with him and then encouraging me to lead walks myself,B次元官网网址� said Attia, now a 35-year-old tour guide. B次元官网网址淚t kind of took off from there.B次元官网网址�
More young people like Attia are flocking to birdwatching than ever, aided by the internet, social media and digital photography, avian enthusiasts say. While previous generations had to dust off old bird books at the library, millennials have easier access to information and like-minded individuals than ever before.
Attia is among the thousands of people who have descended upon Vancouver this week for the International Ornithological Congress, a global gathering of highly respected bird scientists held every four years. It is the first time the sought-after event has been staged in Canada since the 1980s, and convener Robert Elner pushed to bring it to British Columbia.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a sense of incredible pride, not for myself but for Canada to actually host this. This is a real big endorsement of Canadian science and basically Canadian culture,B次元官网网址� said Elner, a scientist emeritus with Environment Canada.
Organizers partnered with the inaugural Vancouver International Bird Festival, which is also being held this week and features such millennial-friendly events as fowl-themed improv comedy, a laid-back nature walk dubbed B次元官网网址淩eturn of the Hipster Birder,B次元官网网址� and bird-inspired outdoor yoga.
Festival chairman Rob Butler has observed the demographics of birdwatching change.
B次元官网网址淚t used to be the purview of generally retired people, but itB次元官网网址檚 really becoming much younger. The average age is now in the high 40s, early 50s, because the people have a bit of money and can travel,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏ut itB次元官网网址檚 coming down.B次元官网网址�
Travellers who are entirely focused on seeing rare birds are relatively few, while most want a broader cultural experience that involves birds, said Butler.
ThatB次元官网网址檚 why the festival is B次元官网网址渁ll about connecting you to culture through birds,B次元官网网址� he said.
Cam Gillies, owner of Eagle-Eye Tours, which facilitates guided bird tours in dozens of countries, said most of his clients want a tour that features some birds but also includes other animals and natural wonders.
More people in their 30s are signing up for his tours than ever, Gillies said, driven by the rise of digital photography and websites like Instagram and Facebook.
B次元官网网址淵ou can fill the frame with some beautiful bird, which normally would have taken thousands of dollars of camera equipment and a really big lens to achieve,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淧eople are now able to capture those images and share them on social media.B次元官网网址�
Some millennials are pushing the artistic limits of bird fandom even further. Hillary Esdaile, 33, and Jennifer Miller, 36, are artists and birdwatchers who have created full, lifelike avian costumes, which they wore to the opening ceremony of the congress on Monday.
Miller said her elaborate costume depicting a bearded vulture B次元官网网址� a near-threatened bird of prey B次元官网网址� is a fun way to spark conversations about protecting wildlife.
B次元官网网址淚 really like being able to engage with people. They might not know about the species that IB次元官网网址檓 costuming as,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭o let people learn about this bird through this interactive costume has been very rewarding to me.B次元官网网址�
Laura Kane, The Canadian Press
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