Over the years HDC International has been involved in planning, developing and promoting a wide variety of important bird watching destinations and birding businesses around the world. We have undertaken bird watching projects for NGO's, birdwatching tour operators, birding reserves, bird watching parks and birding guide outfits in Chile, UAE, The Gambia, Ghana, Belize, Costa Rica, South Africa, Canada, the USA and the UK.
Birdwatching Tourism
Birdwatching tourism is a booming international business opportunity that attracts low volume, low impact and high return visitors that boost rural tourism economies and support jobs in rural areas. Birdwatching and birding remains one of world's leading recreational activities. With more accessible birding and birdwatching destinations available, there has been a massive increase in the number of internationally itinerant birdwatching and birding tourists traveling the world in search of birds to tick off the "life" list.
Below is a small selection of birding and bird watching sites and destinations we have helped.
Visit our projects page to find out more!
- RSPB Strumpshaw Fen, Norfolk, UK
- Susquehanna Greenway Partnership, PA, USA
- Icelandic Tourist Board, Birdwatching Holidays, Iceland
- International Crane Foundation, Baraboo, WI, USA
- Lackawanna Heritage Valley, Scranton, PA, USA
- Delkatla Wildlife Sanctuary, Masset, BC, Canada
- BirdLife Association, Ljubljansko Barje, Slovenia
- NWT Hickling Broad, Hickling, Norfolk, UK
- Broads Authority, Cockshoot Broad, Norfolk, UK
- Kyabobo National Park, Ghana
- EL Johnson Nature Center, Bloomfield Hills, MI, USA
- Stark County Park District, OH, USA
- Holkham National Nature Reserve, Norfolk, UK
- Florida Division of Recreation & Parks, FL, USA
- First Patagonia, Puerto Veras, Chile
Find out what HDC can do for you!
Are you a birdwatching business or destination that needs help getting more visitors? Do you need help setting up a birdwatching business or developing your product? Then
contact us at HDC and find out we can help!
Did you know?
- According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service nearly a third of Americans age 16 and older (that’s 70 million people!) fed, photographed, and observed wildlife last year, and they spent $45 billion doing so!
- According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service survey, the number of wildlife watchers has grown by 8% since 2001 and spending on bird food and wildlife-watching equipment such as binoculars, cameras, and bird feeders has risen by 18%.
- In the US over 47.7 million birders on average spent part of 115 days in 2006 pursuing their interest. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service survey defines two wildlife-watching categories: around the home and more than a mile from home. Eighty-eight percent of birders (almost 42 million) observe birds around the home, while 42 percent (almost 20 million) take birding trips.
- Wildlife watching in the US is most popular in the West-North-Central region (the Dakotas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska) and New England. The West-North-Central region also leads in away-from-home watching.
- Females participate more than males in around-the-home wildlife watching (54 vs. 46 percent), while males participate more than females in away-from-home watching (51 vs. 49 percent).
- Wildlife watching is most popular among people age 35 to 64.
- Wildlife watchers tend to be urban, college educated, and high-earning.
- More than 90 percent of wildlife watchers are white.
- In the UK there are over 1,000,000 members of the RSPB.
- In the US it is estimated that there are over 3,000,000 dedicated bird watchers.