Birdwatching 101: The Untold Emotions of a Birder

By Maia Tañedo

Birding is, surprisingly, a deeply emotional hobby. While the more obvious feelings—excitement, wonder, curiosity, and frustration—are often mentioned, there’s a deeper emotional layer that rarely gets discussed. The emotions birders experience run the gamut, and many of them are more complex—and sometimes even negative—than most people realize. I want to dive into these “untold birder emotions” and see if you recognize any of them in your own birding journey.

Joy
At one end of the emotional spectrum, we find JOY. Every birder has experienced that rush of elation when they spot a new bird—adding another species to their growing life list. The unbridled feeling of success and the almost divine sense of luck that accompanies a first sighting is what makes a birder continue to bird. It’s that pure, triumphant moment that makes it all worth it, right? Joy is the overarching emotion that wraps around the whole experience that is birdwatching.

But as much as birding brings joy, it also brings a range of emotions that are much less rosy. Let’s explore some of the more painful feelings birders know all too well on their quest for birds.

Heartbreak
On the opposite end of joy, there’s heartbreak. The crushing disappointment of not spotting a bird can be just as intense. This emotion strikes hardest for twitchers—those who drop everything to chase a specific bird. A successful twitch brings elation—silent squeals of joy and jumping for happiness when the bird finally appears. But not every twitch ends in celebration. Sometimes, hours of waiting, multiple visits to a site, and countless efforts result in nothing. That’s the reality of birding—sometimes you just don’t see what you’ve come for. And when a birder spends years trying to spot a particular bird, only to fail again and again, it can give birth to a “nemesis species” that haunts their every attempt.

Jealousy
Now here’s an emotion few birders admit to: jealousy. It’s the unspoken feeling when you scroll through your social feed and see a fellow birder showing off their latest lifer, knowing that you can’t make the trip due to work, school, or simply not having the time or budget. It’s the frustration of hearing your birding friends successfully twitch a rare bird while you miss out. The jealousy is real, but it’s always intertwined with genuine happiness for their success. It’s a blend of conflicting emotions—pride, envy, and joy— all wrapped up in one. Somehow, these complex feelings become part of what makes birding so captivating and challenging! And, despite it all, the joy remains, right? RIGHT?

Intrigue
This next emotion isn’t exactly negative, but it’s powerful all the same: intrigue. There’s a subtle, persistent curiosity that pulls at every birder—whether it’s a fascination with owls, raptors, or waders. It’s the allure of a species that captures your imagination and keeps you coming back for more. It’s that irresistible desire sparked by a beautiful photo of a kingfisher, compelling you to go the extra mile to see it in person. The intrigue might not always lead to action, but it lingers, fueling the desire to explore more and discover new birds. Sometimes, it leads to frustration when you can’t quite reach the object of your fascination, but at the same time also keeps the fire for birding alive.

Anxiety
Anxiety is another emotion that comes with birding, especially for twitchers. It’s that quiet, gnawing feeling of unease that creeps in as you wait for your target bird to appear. The minutes stretch into eternity, and each second without a sighting heightens the tension. You are well aware of the uncertainty of birding, yet the anxiety remains. It’s a familiar companion in the field—the waiting, the hoping, the wondering if it will be worth it. And though there have been many anxious moments and heartbreaking dips, there have also been incredible victories, rewarding all that anxiety with sweet success.

Birdwatching is often marketed as a peaceful, meditative experience—a quiet communion with nature. But for every birder, the emotional rollercoaster is also part of the journey. From moments of joy to feelings of heartbreak, jealousy, intrigue, and anxiety, birding brings out a whole range of emotions that most people don’t expect from a simple hobby. And yet, it’s these very emotions—the highs and lows—that keep us coming back.

With every new bird sighting, every emotional challenge, and every victory, we keep going, driven by the hope that the next bird will make it worthwhile. And with each win, all the negative emotions become worth it, transforming each defeat into a virtual trophy – or five, depending on the bird.