Posted on 07/19/2009 10:42:37 PM PDT by JoeProBono
About 33 percent of Minnesotans are bird-watchers, according to a report by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, putting the state in the top five in the nation for bird-watching. One in three Minnesotans is an active bird-watcher, ranking the state in the top five nationally, according to a report released Wednesday.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service report, an update on how many Americans are birding and how much money they spend on the hobby, found 33 percent of Minnesotans qualify as bird-watchers. Nationwide, the report said, interest in bird-watching is holding steady at about 21 percent of the adult population.
Overall, the U.S. had 47.7 million birders 16 and older in 2006, the most recent year for which complete data was available, up from 46 million in 1996. Those birders spent about $36 billion pursuing their passion, either in travel expenses or birding gear.
The report is an estimate based on thousands of extensive surveys. To be counted as a birder, one has to either travel to watch birds or make an active effort to watch and identify birds at home. Going to the zoo, or simply watching birds while doing other activities, doesn’t count.
The five states with the highest birding participation rates as a percentage of their populations are: Montana, 40 percent; Maine, 39 percent; Vermont, 38 percent; and Minnesota and Iowa, tied at 33 percent. About 26 percent of Wisconsinites are bird-watchers, the report found. Hawaii, at 10 percent, and North Dakota, at 14 percent, had the lowest levels.
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