Your Birding History And Future

How long have you been a birder, and how did you get into birding?

I started keeping a checklist and birding journal when I was 11 years old – the latter still serves as entertaining reading occasionally when I dig out the first of many journals I’ve since filled. My first entry into this journal was about Mokala National Park in South Africa, where, after a short list of birds (mostly lifers), a short paragraph in broken English demonstrates my visible amazement at the park’s large number of waxbills.

I am not sure how exactly I got into birding, but my parents have always loved nature. We spent every holiday camping in national parks and took along guidebooks from fish and trees to birds and mammals, so it was only a matter of time before I decided to commit to one of these taxa.

Has your attitude towards birding changed with time – for example, did it get more intense, do you focus on different things now, etc.?

I do spend less time birding now than I used to. During high school, I regularly did weekend trips or even just headed to a local park before school in Colombo, Sri Lanka. During my university studies, I have noticed that I prioritize the less structured study routine and the busier social environment. I’m happy with this change, though, as I do still spend longer holidays doing extensive birding trips.

What were the ornithological highlights in your life so far?

Birding in the rainforests of Sabah, Borneo, was probably the most mind-blowing trip I’ve ever had. I spent four weeks at several rainforest sites and was overwhelmed by the sheer number of species. A favourite moment was standing on the treetop walk at the Rainforest Discovery Centre in Sandakan, with Rhinoceros Hornbills calling and flying around us at sunrise. This species is etched into my memory from a photo I came across as a child, so actually seeing it was really memorable.

What are your plans for the next few years, as related to birding? For example, are trips planned?

Two places I’m burning to go to are Madagascar and Papua New Guinea. I don’t have anything concrete planned at the moment, although I’m looking into doing some ecological fieldwork as an excuse to visit the former once I’ve completed my MSc.

If you had to make a living off birding, what kind of activity would you try?

As a teenager, I dreamt of being a professional bird guide. I think I would really need to polish my knowledge of bird calls before that would even be a remote possibility, though. Regardless, I am somewhat wary of turning my hobby into a profession.

Your Life As A Non-Birder

What do you do for work?

I worked in international cooperation in the biodiversity conservation space, and once I’ve completed my MSc, I’ll return to the conservation space.

Is there any link between your work and birds/birding?

Conservation and birding have obvious links, although I intend to focus on human aspects of conservation, especially in human-wildlife conflict.

What’s your favourite thing to do outside of birding?

As a university student currently, I mainly spend time with my friends, and I enjoy anything from amateur political philosophy discussions to playing spikeball in the park.

How does your personal environment (e.g., partner, children, etc.) regard your interest in birds and birding?

In middle school, this passion was material for jokes among my friends, but nowadays this interest is regarded very positively. I am generally surrounded by people who both appreciate strong passions in others and are similarly interested in the environment and its conservation.

Birding General Info And Advice

What are some of your birding tips for beginners?

Leaf through bird guides as much as you can in your free time – I find that repeatedly looking at all the species is key to internalizing the key features for their ID. Also, learn the calls! The latter is something I wish I had gotten into earlier when I started birding.

How important are apps for your birding?

I’m trying to use eBird more frequently, but I enjoy not using devices in the field, so I have very few checklists online. I have increasingly used Merlin, and this site has definitely been helpful in learning sounds, but I don’t use it much in the field either.

10,000 Birds

Why do you write for 10,000 Birds, other than for the fame and glory?

I mainly write about recent birding trips, which I enjoy because it allows me to relive the experiences I’ve had. Also, I take more photos than I share on my personal blog, so it’s nice to have another space to make use of my photos.

Puffin

What do you like and dislike about the site? What should change?

I love that so many different writers share their thoughts, sightings and perspectives about birding. It’s really amazing to be part of such a community. I would not change anything – I personally appreciate obtaining concrete logistical recommendations from other birders for sites I’m curious to visit, but there are other sites for this (e.g. Cloudbirders), and I think it’s cool that 10,000 Birds emphasizes having accessible content and lots of photos.

In an ideal world, who would you want to contribute to 10,000 Birds as well?

It’s already great how many people contribute, but it would be amazing to have more writers from different parts of the world, especially ones based in African countries.