“There are probably as many answers to that question as there are birdwatchers. But I think you’ve got a combination of things. The sheer aesthetic appeal. Birds are beautiful — you can’t get away from that.

“The intellectual challenge of trying to figure out what they are, trying to find them and recognize them. It’s not just like sitting there and having a beautiful image thrown at you. You have to work at it. So there is that challenge to be overcome.

“And then just the sheer aliveness of birds has to appeal to people. Most birds live at a level of intensity that we can’t match. Watching a bird I’m often reminded of just what an intense experience life can be.”

US Fish and Wildlife records from 1996 showed 35.2 million anglers, 14 million hunters and 62.9 million “wildlife watchers.” These 62.9 million are primarily birders.

Of course these 62.9 million birders represent a broad spectrum of interests and abilities. The allure of birding is that it is multifaceted. Some aspect of it is likely to appeal to almost anyone. Backyard feeding appeals to many who enjoy the color and activity birds bring to their backyards. It’s a simple hobby that provides many pleasurable hours of birding. Crafters take great pride in creating bird houses and bird feeders.

For the serious birder, listing can become an obsession. There are life lists, yard lists, state lists, county lists, etc. There is even competitive birding.

The New Jersey Audubon Society sponsors the annual World Series of Birding every year in Cape May, N.J. Teams in adult and youth divisions spend 24 hours searching for as many species of birds as possible. Two teams tied for last year’s trophy with 214 species.

Birding also offers a way for the average citizen to participate in important data gathering that can make a difference in avian conservation. Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon offer several “citizen science” projects each year. These include the Christmas Bird Count, Project Feeder Watch, Birds in Forested Landscapes, Breeding Bird Survey, Golden-Winged Warbler Atlas and many more.

A small group of interested birders has banded together here in Western North Carolina to create the Carolina Field Birders Club. The group had an informal organizational meeting in March and has scheduled a second meeting for Tuesday, April 16, at 7 p.m. at Southwestern Community College in Sylva in room 235 of the Balsam Center.

Trevor Rundle of SCC will present a short program, “Issues in bird conservation: Why common birds become rare.”

Attendees will also discuss the structural organization and mission of Carolina Field Birders Club. Anyone interested, regardless of birding experience, is cordially invited to attend. For more information on the meeting, contact Dick Bruce at 828.293.5441.

(Don Hendershot can be reached at don@smokymountainnews.com)