Unlike other animal groups, birds have a great variety of shapes and colors, they are everywhere, they produce spectacular songs, and they are easy to see, directly or with the help of binoculars.

These are some of the reasons why there are many birdwatching enthusiasts.

Fascination with birds has the power to change human attitudes. Birds have been the reason for many to appreciate the natural world and the so-called HOT SPOTS of birds, and many of these places are in Ecuador both in the Sierra, the Cloud Forest, the Amazon, the Coast, and Galapagos with a total of 1564 species of birds

What is bird watching

It is a form of wildlife watching but dedicated to birds. In its basic form, birding consists of going outdoors, to enjoy watching and also the songs of birds.

Some consider birding a hobby, others a scientific sport, and still others a passion. 

Birdwatcher,  or pajareros.

In Ecuador, birdwatching is an activity that has been improving for the past 25 years. So much so that the use of an adequate term for this activity itself, and for the amateurs who practice it, has yet to be established.

Birdwatching began in Europe where the activity is known as “birding”. The person who practices the activity is known as a “birder”.

These are perhaps the most commonly used terms, mostly in formal communication.

Other terms include “bird watching” as well as “birding”. Bird enthusiasts are referred to as pajareros.

Pajarear is perhaps the least formal but most commonly used term among people who actively practice birding; especially in oral communication. Pajarear, to refer to birding, is rarely used in formal written communication.

So a bird enthusiast may be known as a birder, a bird watcher, or a pajarero.

Types of birders.

Generally speaking, there are two types of birders: 

Passive birders: This group is made up of individuals who like to watch birds in a casual manner. They do so in their gardens, parks, and nearby natural areas. Passive birders know the larger, more visible birds. This group goes birding sporadically and locally.

Active birders: These are very dedicated and know a lot about visual and auditory identification of many birds. Some are interested in the distribution, migration, and habitat use of many bird species. Active birders go out frequently in search of birds and keep birding lists of each outing, as well as lists of the birds they have seen in their city, country and come to Ecuador to look for and observe them since in a short travel time they can find many species in a single country as Ecuador is Megadiverse and contains many HOTSPOTS of birds.