Birdwatching is big business, but not all countries benefit

Birdwatching was once a quiet, eccentric pastime. Now, it’s a worldwide phenomenon. Travelers go thousands of miles – even to remote places such as the Andes in Colombia – to catch a glimpse of one species.

In the process, birdwatchers bond with the natural world, interact with fellow travelers, and spend money – lots of it.

Now, birdwatching is one of the major engines of ecotourism, particularly in the tropics where bird populations are rich and varied. But according to new research, not every country with rare birds is cashing in on this trend.

Birdwatching as a growing business

Over the past decade, birdwatching has gone through the roof. Apps such as eBird, which allow users to record sightings, have made birdwatching a worldwide community. They receive millions of checklists from users who record what birds they have spotted and where.

The data is especially valuable for researchers trying to figure out how birdwatching tourism works – and where it’s growing.

A group of scientists from the University of California, Santa Cruz decided to dig into this question. They analyzed eBird records for 155 nations from 2010 to 2022.

The goal was to learn why birdwatching tourists are drawn to certain places and why others receive more visits than others.

The team started by determining which app users were likely tourists. If a user mostly posted bird sightings in one country but also submitted checklists from others, those other sightings were counted as tourism.

Next, the researchers built models to analyze which factors were tied to rising tourist activity.

More birds, more tourists?

You’d think countries with the most birds would attract the most birders. That’s partly true – but it’s not the whole story.

The researchers looked at four main factors to understand what drives birdwatching tourism. First was the total number of bird species in a country. They also considered the number of small-range species – birds that are found only in a very specific area.

Beyond biodiversity, the team included the Human Development Index, which measures education, health, and income levels. Lastly, they factored in the Global Peace Index, which reflects a country’s overall safety and stability.

Factors influencing bird tourism

The analysis showed that the most important factor wasn’t birds – it was development. A country’s Human Development Index explained 41.4 percent of the variation in bird tourism.

Species richness came in second at 22.4 percent. Small-range species mattered too, but not as much. Surprisingly, safety had only a minor influence – just 1.4 percent.

That means tourists care more about basic infrastructure and services than they do about peace rankings. They want to go somewhere that’s easy to travel in, not necessarily somewhere that’s totally safe on paper.

Colombia takes the lead

One of the biggest winners in the study was Colombia. Since 2010, birding activity in the country has grown 40 times over.

The country also saw the biggest growth in tourist birdwatching, specifically. Colombia now holds a much bigger slice of the global birding pie than it did a decade ago.

South Africa ranked second in growth overall. Other countries, like Costa Rica, Mexico, Ecuador, and Peru, also scored high in both visitation and biodiversity.

But some tropical countries, including Venezuela, Bolivia, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, barely saw any growth – even though they have incredible birds.

The gap is especially striking between Colombia and Venezuela. Both have rich bird life and similar development scores, but their tourism outcomes couldn’t be more different.

What’s working – and what isn’t

Part of Colombia’s success might come down to smart promotion. The country’s tourism agency launched a major campaign to boost birdwatching.

Meanwhile, places like Costa Rica have spent years building infrastructure – trails, towers, trained guides – and focusing on sustainable travel. That kind of investment pays off.

On the other hand, some countries just haven’t built the conditions needed to welcome tourists, even if they have world-class birds.

The study also suggests other factors might be in play: ease of getting visas, how affordable flights are, how a country is seen politically, and how well-connected it is to major tourist source countries like the U.S.

“Over the years, we’ve seen Colombia really explode as a birdwatching destination, and we often asked ourselves why more countries aren’t similarly recognized as great places for birdwatching,” said Scott Winton, a UC Santa Cruz ecologist and study coauthor.

Birdwatching as a business opportunity

The researchers say there are ways to grow birdwatching tourism – especially for countries in the tropics with untapped potential.

One important takeaway: it’s not all or nothing. A nation doesn’t necessarily have to be completely developed or 100% secure to attract birders. What is more important is whether certain areas are perceived as safe, boast trained local guides, and provide minimal amenities.

To get there, governments can facilitate the growth of birding tourism by providing tax incentives or low-interest loans to facilitate the construction of birding trails, canopy towers, and viewing hides.

Investing in guide training can also go a long way, particularly if locals are equipped with bird identification and customer service knowledge. Preserving bird habitats is important, as ecotourism relies on maintaining these areas intact.

Furthermore, investing in small, community-based tourism enterprises with incentives for sustainable activities can help make birding tourism more accessible and inclusive.

Birdwatching, biodiversity, and income

Birdwatching isn’t a shortcut to success. It requires long-term thinking. Natural habitats take years to recover if they’re destroyed, but tourism built around nature can last for generations. Still, it’s not a decision governments should make alone.

“Just as I’ve seen birding tourism change people’s lives in my native Colombia, I hope other tropical countries can come together to conserve and showcase their amazing bird capital,” said Natalia Ocampo-Peñuela, the study’s lead author.

Ultimately, local and Indigenous communities should have the final say. When they lead, and when the land is protected, birdwatching can be more than a hobby – it can be a way to protect biodiversity and build lasting income in places that need it most.

The full study was published in the journal People and Nature.

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