U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Birding in the United States: 

A Demographic and 

Economic Analysis

Addendum to the 2011 National 

Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and 

Wildlife-Associated Recreation

Report 2011-1

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

December 2013

Erin Carver

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Division of Economics

Arlington VA

This report is intended to complement the National and State reports from the 

2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. 

The conclusions are the author’s and do not represent official positions of the 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The author thanks Sylvia Cabrera, Richard Aiken, and Matthew Fuller for their 

input into this report.

Birding in the United States: 

A Demographic and 

Economic Analysis

Addendum to the 2011 National 

Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and 

Wildlife-Associated Recreation

Report 2011-1
2 Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis

Contents

Introduction...................................................................... 3

Birders .......................................................................... 4

Where and What are They Watching? ............................................ 10

Avidity ......................................................................... 10

The Economics of Bird Watching ................................................. 12

Total Industry Output ........................................................... 14

Employment and Employment Income ........................................... 14

Federal and State Taxes ......................................................... 14

Conclusion...................................................................... 15

References...................................................................... 16
Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis 3

Introduction

The following report provides up-todate information so birders and policy 

makers can make informed decisions 

regarding the management of birds and 

their habitats. This report identifies 

who birders are, where they live, how 

avid they are, and what kinds of birds 

they watch. In addition to demographic 

information, this report also provides 

an economic measure of birding. It 

estimates how much birders spend on 

their hobby and the economic impact of 

these expenditures.

By understanding who birders are, they 

can be more easily reached and informed 

about pressures facing birds and bird 

habitats. Conversely, by knowing 

who is likely not a birder, or who is 

potentially a birder, information can be 

more effectively tailored. The economic 

values presented here can be used by 

resource managers and policy makers 

to demonstrate the economic might of 

birders, the value of birding – and by 

extension, the value of birds.

All data presented here are from the 

wildlife-watching section of the 2011 

National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, 

and Wildlife-Associated Recreation 

(FHWAR). It is the most comprehensive 

survey of wildlife recreation in the 

United States. Overall, about 9,300 

detailed wildlife-watching interviews 

were completed with a response rate of 

67 percent. The Survey focused on 2011 

participation and expenditures by U.S. 

residents 16 years of age and older.

Al Milliken/USFWS
4 Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis

Birders

In 2011, there were 47 million 

birdwatchers (birders), 16 years of age 

and older, in the United States – about 

20 percent of the population. What is 

a birder? The National Survey uses a 

conservative definition. To be counted as 

a birder, an individual must have either 

taken a trip one mile or more from home 

for the primary purpose of observing 

birds and/or closely observed or tried to 

identify birds around the home. Thus, 

people who happened to notice birds 

while they were mowing the lawn or 

picnicking at the beach were not counted 

as birders. Trips to zoos and observing 

captive birds also did not count.

Backyard birding or watching birds 

around the home is the most common 

form of bird-watching. Eighty-eight 

percent (41 million) of birders are 

backyard birders. The more active 

form of birding, taking trips away from 

home, is less common with 38 percent (18 

million) of birders partaking.

The average birder is 53 years old 

and more than likely has a better than 

average income and education. She is 

slightly more likely to be female and 

highly likely to be white. There is also a 

good chance that this birder lives in the 

south in an urban area. Does this paint 

an accurate picture of a birder? Like 

all generalizations, the description of 

an “average” birder does not reflect the 

variety of people who bird, with millions 

falling outside this box. The tables and 

charts show numbers and participation 

rates (the percentage of people who 

participate) of birders by various 

demographic breakdowns.

The tendency of birders to be middle-age 

or older is reflected in both the number of 

birders and participation rates. Looking 

at the different age categories in Table 

1, the greatest number of birders were 

in the 55 plus age group. People over the 

age of 55 had the highest participation 

rates while the participation rate was 

particularly low for people ages 16 to 24.

Chart 1. Birders in the United States: 2011

(16 years of age and older.)

Total Birders 47 million

Around-the-home 41 million

Away-from-home 18 million

Note: Detail does not add to total because of multiple responses.

Table 1. Age Distribution of the U.S. Population and Birders: 2011

(Population 16 years of age and older. Numbers in thousands.)

Age U.S. Population Number of Birders Participation Rate

16 to 24 34,169 1,939 6%

25 to 34 41,613 4,767 11%

35 to 44 40,779 6,799 17%

45 to 54 46,167 10,396 23%

55 plus 76,586 22,840 30%

Chart 2. Birders’ Participation Rate by Age: 2011

U.S. Average: 20% ▼

16 to 24 6%

25 to 34 11%

35 to 44 17%

45 to 54 23%

55 plus 30%
Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis 5

The higher the income and education 

level the more likely a person is to be a 

birder. Birders with incomes above the 

median participated at a higher rate than 

the average birder while birders with 

incomes below the median participated 

at a lower rate. Education, which is 

often highly correlated with income, 

shows the same trend. People with less 

than high school education participated 

at 11 percent – far below the national 

average – while people with a college 

degree had the highest participation rate 

at 28 percent. See Tables 2 and 3 for more 

information.

Unlike hunting and fishing where men 

were overwhelmingly in the majority, a 

larger percent of birders were women – 

56 percent in 2011 (See Chart 5).

Chart 3. Birders’ Participation Rate by Income: 2011

U.S. Average: 20% ▼

Less than $20,000 15%

$20,000 to $29,999 16%

$30,000 to $49,999 19%

$50,000 to $74,999 25%

$75,000 or more 24%

Chart 4. Birders’ Participation Rate by Education: 2011

U.S. Average: 20% ▼

11 years or less 11%

High School Graduate 15%

Some College 20%

College Graduate + 28%

Chart 5. Percent of Birders by Gender: 2011

(Population 16 years of age and older.)

Table 2. Income Distribution of the U.S. Population and Birders: 2011

(Population 16 years of age and older. Numbers in thousands.)

Income U.S. Population Number of Birders Participation Rate

Less than $20,000 30,550 4,455 15%

$20,000 to $29,999 23,154 3,661 16%

$30,000 to $49,999 40,036 7,734 19%

$50,000 to $74,999 33,850 8,432 25%

$75,000 or more 66,177 15,862 24%

Table 3. Educational Distribution of the U.S. Population and Birders: 2011

(Population 16 years of age and older. Numbers in thousands.)

Education U.S. Population Number of Birders Participation Rate

11 years or less 31,574 3,340 11%

High School Graduate 81,984 12,462 15%

Some College 55,014 10,849 20%

College Graduate + 70,740 20,089 28%

Male

44%

Female

56%

Steve Hillebrand/USFWS
6 Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis

Excluding people that categorize their 

race as “Other”, birders are not a racially 

or ethnically diverse group. Ninety-three 

percent of birders identified themselves 

as white. The scarcity of minority birders 

is not just a reflection of their relatively 

low numbers in the population at large; 

it’s also a function of low participation 

rates. The participation rates of 

Hispanics, African-Americans, Asians, 

and “Other” were all 8 percent or lower 

while the rate for whites, 24 percent, was 

slightly above the 20 percent national 

average.

The sparser populated an area, the more 

likely its residents were to watch birds. 

The participation rate for people living 

in small cities and rural areas was 22 

percent – 2 percent above the national 

average. Whereas large metropolitan 

areas (1 million residents or more) had 

the greatest number of birders, their 

residents had the lowest participation 

rate, 12 percent. See Table 5.

Chart 6. Birders’ Participation Rate by Race and Ethnicity: 2011

U.S. Average: 20% ▼

Hispanic 8%

White 24%

African American 7%

Asian 4%

All Others 5%

Table 4. Racial and Ethnic Distribution of the U.S. Population and Birders: 2006

(Population 16 years of age and older. Numbers in thousands.)

Race U.S. Population Number of Birders Participation Rate

Hispanic 32,557 2,578 8%

White 182,872 43,323 24%

African American 23,402 1,697 7%

Asian 11,647 410 4%

All Others 21,392 1,105 5%

Table 5. Percent of U.S. Population Who Birded by Residence: 2011

(Population 16 years of age and older. Numbers in thousands.)

Metropolitan 

Statistical Area U.S. Population Number of Birders Participation Rate

1,000,000 or more 127,462 15,141 12%

250,000 to 999,999 48,157 7,479 16%

Less than 249,000 48,406 7,085 15%

Outside MSA 15,288 3,410 22%

Steve Hillebrand/USFWS
Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis 7

Participation rates are varied across 

the United States. However, the highest 

participation rates are prevalent in the 

northern half of the country (with the 

exception of West Virginia), where the 

top 5 States include Vermont, Wisconsin, 

West Virginia, Wyoming, and Alaska. 

See Chart 7 for more details.

Robert Burton/USFWS

Chart 7. Birding Participation Ratees by State Residents: 2011

U.S. Average: 20% ▼

Vermont 39%

Wisconsin 33%

West Virginia 33%

Wyoming 31%

Alaska 30%

Connecticut 29%

Idaho 29%

New Hampshire 27%

Oklahoma 26%

Colorado 26%

Minnesota 25%

Maine 24%

Michigan 24%

Pennsylvania 24%

South Dakota 24%

Washington 24%

Arkansas 24%

Indiana 23%

Oregon 23%

Tennessee 23%

Montana 22%

Georgia 22%

Kentucky 22%

Missouri 22%

North Carolina 21%

New Mexico 21%

Kansas 21%

Iowa 20%

New York 20%

Delaware 19%

Virginia 19%

Rhode Island 19%

Arizona 18%

Mississippi 18%

Nebraska 18%

Massachusetts 18%

Maryland 18%

Ohio 17%

Illinois 16%

California 16%

Nevada 16%

Alabama 16%

New Jersey 15%

Florida 15%

Louisiana 15%

Utah 13%

Texas 11%

South Carolina 11%

Hawaii 7%
8 Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis

There were more participants in the 

South (34 percent) compared to the 

rest of the United States (see Figure 1). 

The Midwest had the second highest 

participation at 24 percent. The West and 

Northeast had lower participation of 22 

percent and 20 percent, respectively.

Figure 1. Participation by Region of Residence: 2011

(Population 16 years of age and older.)

West

22%

34%

24% 20%

Midwest

South

Northeast

Alaska

Washington

Idaho

Oregon

California

Hawaii

Nevada

Utah

Arizona

New Mexico

Colorado

Wyoming

Montana

North

Dakota Minnesota

Iowa

Wisconsin

Ohio

Kentucky

Virginia

Tennessee

Georgia

Illinois

Missouri

South

Dakota

Nebraska

Kansas

Oklahoma Arkansas

Texas Alabama

Indiana

Louisiana

Mississippi

South

Carolina

North Carolina

Florida

West Virginia

Delaware

New Jersey

Connecticut

Rhode Island

Massachusetts

New Hampshire

Vermont

Maryland

Pennsylvania

Maine

 New York

Michigan

Steve Maslowski ©
Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis 9

Bird watching by state residents tells 

only part of the story. Many people travel 

out-of-state to watch birds, and some 

states are natural birding destinations. 

Hawaii reaped the benefits of this 

tourism with 73 percent of their total 

birders coming from other states. Three 

other states (Alaska, Wyoming, and 

Maine) had more than 60 percent of their 

total birders coming from other states. 

(See Table 6.) USFWS

Table 6. Birding by State Residents and Nonresidents: 2011

(Population 16 years of age and older. Numbers in thousands).

State Total Birders

Percent 

State Residents

Percent 

Nonresidents

Alabama 607 94% –

Alaska 512 31% 69%

Arizona 1,110 82% 18%*

Arkansas 539 98% –

California 4,864 94% 6%

Colorado 1,188 85% 15%

Connecticut 873 93% 7%*

Delaware 171 80% –

Florida 2,966 75% 25%

Georgia 1,903 87% 13%*

Hawaii 254 27% 73%*

Idaho 419 81% 19%*

Illinois 1,811 90% 10%*

Indiana 1,175 99% –

Iowa 531 89% –

Kansas 476 95% –

Kentucky 827 90% 10%*

Louisiana 712 71% –

Maine 689 38% 63%

Maryland 934 84% 16%*

Massachusetts 1,238 75% 25%

Michigan 2,015 93% 7%*

Minnesota 1,112 93% 7%*

Mississippi 456 87% –

Missouri 1,110 92% 8%*

Montana 291 60% 40%*

Nebraska 273 89% –

Nevada 447 72% 28%*

New Hampshire 527 55% 45%*

New Jersey 1,195 87% 13%*

New Mexico 415 78% 22%*

New York 3,272 93% 7%

North Carolina 1,854 84% 16%

Ohio 1,583 97% –

Oklahoma 773 97% –

Oregon 892 79% 21%*

Pennsylvania 2,699 89% 11%

Rhode Island 201 80% 20%

South Carolina 536 72% 28%*

South Dakota 235 64% 36%

Tennessee 1,382 82% 18%

Texas 2,238 95% 5%*

Utah 410 69% 31%

Vermont 292 69% 31%*

Virginia 1,425 81% 19%*

Washington 1,516 83% 17%*

West Virginia 547 88% –

Wisconsin 1,678 89% 11%*

Wyoming 417 31% 69%

Note: A hyphen (–) denotes sample sizes that are too small to report reliably (9 or less). An asterisk (*) 

denotes an estimate based on a sample size of 10 to 29. This sample size criteria is consistent with the 

“2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation.”
10 Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis

Where and What are They Watching?

Backyard birding is the most prevalent 

form of birding with 88 percent of 

participants watching birds from the 

comfort of their homes. Thirty-eight 

percent of birders travel more than a mile 

from home to bird visiting both private 

and public lands.

What kinds of birds are they looking at? 

Seventy-five percent of away-from-home 

birders reported observing waterfowl 

(ducks, geese, etc.), making those the 

most watched type of bird. Birds of prey 

(hawks, eagles, etc.) were also popular 

with 72 percent of birders watching them, 

followed in popularity by songbirds such 

as cardinals and robins (68 percent) and 

other water birds such as herons and 

shorebirds (60 percent). See Chart 8.

Avidity

All people identified as birders in this 

report said that they took an active 

interest in birds – defined as trying to 

closely observe or identify different 

species. But what is the extent of their 

interest? In order to determine their 

“avidity” the number of days spent bird 

watching was considered.

Chart 8. Types of Birds Observed by Away-From-Home Birders: 2011

Total, all birders 100%

Waterfowl 75%

Birds of Prey 72%

Songbirds 68%

Other water birds* 60%

Other birds** 38%

* shorebirds, herons, etc.

**pheasants, turkeys, etc.

Table 7. National Birding Trends

2006 2011 Percent Change*

Total Birders 47,693 46,741 –2%

Around-the-home 41,821 41,346 –1%

Away-from-home 19,860 17,818 –10%*

Total Days 5,473,398 5,161,909 –6%

Around the home 5,202,536 4,923,873 –5%

Away-from-home 270,861 238,036 –12%

Note: An asterisk denotes the change is significant at the 95% level. All other “percent changes” are not 

statistically significant.

Lavonda Walton/USFWS
Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis 11

Presumably because of the relative ease 

of backyard birding, birders around 

the home spent nine times as many 

days watching birds as did people who 

traveled more than a mile from home to 

bird watch. In 2011, the mean number of 

days for all birders was 110, for backyard 

birders it was 119, and for away-fromhome birders it was 13. Avidity for all 

birders is shown in Chart 9. Although 

avidity is varied across the country, 

birders’ avidity in 11 States was higher 

than the national average. Most notably, 

Mississippi averaged 155 days per birder.

Table 7 shows how avidity has changed 

from 2006 to 2011. The only change that 

is significant at the 95 percent level is 

“Total Away-from-Home Birders.” As 

shown, the number of away-from-home 

birders has decreased 10 percent as less 

birders are traveling to observe birds.

Chart 9. Birding Avidity by State: 2011

(Population 16 years of age and older.)

U.S. Average: 110 days ▼

Mississippi 155 days

Connecticut 133 days

Texas 132 days

Ohio 130 days

Arkansas 130 days

Alabama 129 days

Iowa 126 days

Indiana 122 days

Illinois 121 days

New Mexico 116 days

Idaho 114 days

New York 110 days

Kansas 109 days

Rhode Island 108 days

Delaware 108 days

Georgia 108 days

Missouri 106 days

Michigan 105 days

Tennessee 102 days

Oregon 98 days

Wisconsin 95 days

Maryland 95 days

Washington 95 days

Nevada 93 days

Florida 92 days

Arizona 92 days

Kentucky 92 days

Oklahoma 91 days

Massachusetts 91 days

New Jersey 90 days

Minnesota 87 days

Louisiana 86 days

Nebraska 86 days

California 85 days

Virginia 83 days

North Carolina 81 days

Vermont 77 days

Montana 73 days

West Virginia 72 days

New Hampshire 71 days

Pennsylvania 67 days

South Dakota 67 days

Maine 64 days

Colorado 63 days

South Carolina 60 days

Utah 57 days

Wyoming 42 days

Hawaii 34 days

Alaska 31 days

Note: North Dakota is not included due to small sample sizes.

USFWS
12 Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis

The Economics of Bird Watching

Birders spend money on a variety of 

goods and services for their trip-related 

and equipment-related purchases. 

Trip-related expenditures include 

food, lodging, transportation, and 

other incidental expenses. Equipment 

expenditures consist of binoculars, 

cameras, camping equipment, and other 

costs. By having ripple effects throughout 

the economy, these direct expenditures 

are only part of the economic impact of 

birding. The effect on the economy in 

excess of direct expenditures is known 

as the multiplier effect. For example, an 

individual may purchase a bird house 

to enhance birding at home. Part of 

the purchase price will stay with the 

local retailer. The local retailer, in turn, 

pays a wholesaler who in turn pays the 

manufacturer of the bird houses. The 

manufacturer then spends a portion of 

this income to pay businesses supplying 

the manufacturer. In this sense, each 

dollar of local retail expenditures can 

affect a variety of businesses. Thus, 

expenditures associated with birding can 

ripple through the economy by impacting 

economic activity, employment, and 

household income. To measure these 

effects, a regional input-output modeling 

method

1

 is utilized to derive estimates 

for total industry output, employment, 

employment income, and tax revenue 

associated with birding. 1 The estimates for total industry output, 

employment, employment income, and 

federal and state taxes were derived using 

IMPLAN, a regional input-output model 

and software system.

David Haggard/USFWS
Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis 13

Table 8 highlights birders’ trip-related 

and equipment-related expenditures in 

2011.2 Birders spent an estimated $15 

billion on their trips and $26 billion on 

equipment in 2011. For trip expenditures, 

52 percent was food and lodging, 34 

percent was transportation, and 14 

percent was other costs such as guide 

fees, user fees, and equipment rental 

(Chart 10). Equipment expenditures 

were relatively evenly distributed among 

wildlife watching equipment (29 percent), 

special equipment (37 percent), and other 

items (30 percent) (Chart 11). Auxiliary 

equipment accounted for only 4 percent of 

all equipment expenditures.

2 The Survey does not have an expenditure 

category for birding. Therefore, 

expenditures are prorated by multiplying 

wildlife watching expenditures by a ratio 

to derive birding expenditures. For triprelated expenditures, the ratio includes 

only away-from-home birders and is (total 

number of away-from-home days watching 

birds)/(total number of away-from-home 

days watching wildlife). For equipmentrelated expenditures, the ratio includes 

both away-from-home birders and aroundthe-home birders. The equipment-related 

expenditure ratio is (total number of days 

watching birds)/(total number of days 

watching wildlife).

Table 8. Trip and Equipment Expenditures for Birding by Category: 2011

Total Trip and Equipment Expenditures $40,942,680,033

Trip-Related Expenditures*, total $14,868,424,740

Food $4,625,942,734

Lodging $3,105,418,864

Transportation $5,084,858,642

Other $2,052,204,500

Equipment**, total $26,074,255,293

Wildlife-watching equipment $7,573,105,647

Auxilliary equipment $1,034,484,181

Special Equipment $9,534,331,263

Other Items $7,932,334,202

*Trip-related expenditures include food, drink, lodging; public and private transportation; and other 

trip-related costs such as guide fees, pack trip or package fees, public and private land use access fees, 

equipment rental, boating costs, and heating and cooking fuel.

**Wildlife-watching equipment expenditures include: bird food, nest boxes, bird houses, bird baths, 

binoculars, cameras and camera equipment, photo processing, day packs, carrying cases, special 

clothing and other wildlife-watching items such as field guides and maps. Auxiliary equipment includes 

tents, tarps, frame packs, and backpacking equipment, and other camping equipment, and other 

auxiliary equipment such as blinds and GPS devices. Special Equipment includes big ticket items 

such as boats and boat accessories, campers, trucks, and cabins. Other items include land leasing and 

ownership, plantings, membership dues and contributions, and magazine books, and DVDs.

Chart 10. Trip-Related Expenditures

(Total Expenditures: $14.9 billion)

Chart 11. Equipment Expenditures

(Total expenditures: $26.1 billion)

Food

$4.6 billion 

31%

Wildlife-watching 

equipment

$7.6 billion

29%

Lodging

$3.1 billion

21%

Auxilliary equipment 

$1.0 billion

4%

Transportation

$5.1 billion

34%

Special equipment 

$9.5 billion

37%

Other

$2.1 billion

14%

Other items

$7.9 billion

30%

USFWS
14 Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis

Total Industry Output

Table 9 lists the economic effect of bird 

watching expenditures in 2011. The 

trip and equipment expenditures of $41 

billion in 2011 generated $107 billion in 

total industry output across the United 

States. Total industry output includes 

the direct, indirect, and induced effects 

of the expenditures associated with bird 

watching.

Direct effects are the initial effects or 

impacts of spending money; for example, 

an individual purchasing a bird house 

is an example of a direct effect. An 

example of an indirect effect would 

be the purchase of the bird house by a 

retailer from the manufacturer. Finally, 

induced effects refer to the changes in 

production associated with changes in 

household income (and spending) caused 

by changes in employment related to both 

direct and indirect effects. More simply, 

people who are employed by the retailer, 

by the wholesaler, and by the birdhouse 

manufacturer spend their income on 

various goods and services which in turn 

generate a given level of output (induced 

effects).

Employment and Employment Income

Table 9 shows that birding expenditures 

in 2011 created 666,000 jobs and $31 

billion in employment income. Jobs 

include both full-time and part-time jobs, 

with a job defined as one person working 

for at least part of the calendar year. 

Employment income consists of both 

employee compensation and proprietor 

income.

Federal and State Taxes

Federal and State tax revenue are 

derived from birding-related recreational 

spending. In 2011, $6 billion in State tax 

revenue and $7 billion in Federal tax 

revenue were generated.

Dave Menke/USFWS

Table 9. Summary of Economic Impacts

Birders 46,741,000

Total Expenditures $40,942,680,000

Total Output $106,977,730,000

Jobs 666,000

Employment Income $31,391,977,000

State Tax Revenues $6,000,203,000

Federal Tax Revenues $7,089,387,000
Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis 15

Conclusion

This report presented information on the 

participation and expenditure patterns 

of 47 million birders in 2011. Trip-related 

and equipment-related expenditures 

associated with birding generated nearly 

$107 billion in total industry output, 

666,000 jobs, and $13 billion in local, 

state, and federal tax revenue. This 

impact was distributed across local, 

state, and national economies.

USFWS
16 Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis

References

MIG, Inc. IMPLAN System (2008 Data 

and Software). 1940 South Greeley 

Street, Suite 101, Stillwater, MN 55082. 

2008.

U.S. Department of the Interior, 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and 

U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. 

Census Bureau. 2011 National Survey 

of Fishing, Hunting, and WildlifeAssociated Recreation.

USFWS

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov

December 2013

Cover photo: Steve Hillebrand/USFWS