The profile of the birdwatcher in the State of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil): a preliminary analysis

Abstract

Birdwatching is not an activity restricted to the academic or specialized public. So, a question that is asked is about who is the birdwatcher and what is their profile. This study traces the profile of birdwatchers in the state of Rio de Janeiro through data collected from July 4th to August 4th, 2018, using an electronic questionnaire sent to groups of observers registered on Facebook. The responses of 58 individuals were analyzed. The individuals had a mean age of 44 years, mostly male, in general with an income of up to five minimum wages, with varied professions and higher education. About ninety-one percent of birdwatchers perform the activity for leisure, invest and use various equipment, mainly cameras. A small percentage have already traveled outside Brazil for bird watching and more than half contribute to citizen science projects. A small group of individuals look for specific types of birds and 91.4% like to learn about the natural history of birds. All respondents take some type of care with their health and well-being to carry out the activity and say that their practice is affected when it occurs in areas with risk of robbery. All individuals have already visited the Atlantic Forest biome, the most visited environment is the forests and the place is the Conservation Units. About seventy-seven percent participate in birdwatcher groups, performing the observation mostly alone or with the birdwatcher group, with most leaving more than twice a month to carry out the activity. Thirty-seven bird watchers do not have a preference for any season of the year and the time dedicated to this activity most often was that of individuals who performed the practice between one and five years. The results suggest that the socioeconomic profile of the birdwatcher in the state of Rio de Janeiro is restricted to a select public of a limited range of the population. Therefore, knowing the profile of birdwatchers to know their routes, the type of equipment they use, how much they invest in the activity and the reasons that lead them to this practice, can help in the planning of educational and tourism institutions to expand the observation of birds.