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Birdwatching in Britain has grown increasingly dependent on burning fossil fuels. Regularly driving long distances to birding hotspots and frequent flying to see exotic species are seen as perfectly normal. In the face of the climate crisis, however, a growing number of birders are reassessing the way they enjoy and study birds. In this timely book, 30 contributors—from young birdwatchers to professional ornithologists—explain why and how they are shifting to climate-friendlier approaches. Low-carbon birding, they argue, is a legitimate and valuable way of enjoying birds. Furthermore, in itself this can bring many joys, some of them unexpected.
From first encounters with hawfinches to focusing in on birdsong, from the Kalahari to the Hebrides, the stories told here are not about heroic efforts to save the planet. They are simply accounts of everyday humanity in unprecedented times—ordinary people with doubts and concerns about how to live a decent life and act responsibly in a rapidly warming world. The authenticity of their voices is a testament to the moment of awakening to the climate crisis in British ornithology. Above all, Low-Carbon Birding is an urgent call for birders to leave a better legacy in the skies and across the living world.
The title does not shy away from the harsh reality of climate change and the challenges faced; there is a sense of urgency with the topics addressed in this book. But there is not a sense of despair. Within its 31 chapters, there can be few people who won’t find something positive to inspire them in their birding – and their life in general.
— British Birds Vol. 115, Issue 12
This is a welcome book, dealing, as it does, with an important issue for those of us who are birders...Things are certainly changing and I am confident that they will change ever more quickly, and this book is an important contribution to that change.
— Mark Avery, author and environmental campaigner
...this is an excellent book - controversial, engaging and deserving of the widest possible readership.
— James Wright, RSPB Book Club review
The book makes an interesting and thought-provoking read
— John Miles, birdwatching.co.uk
— Amazon reviewer
Low-Carbon Birding is a joy to read....take a few hours to read this amazing book and make 2023 the year of reinventing your way of birding.
— Vincent Stork, Dutch Birding
There is no doubt that Low-Carbon Birding will have a substantial impact on the world of ornithology.
— British Trust for Ornithology
It belongs on the bookshelf - or better yet, in the bicycle bag - of all birders, whether they are already low-carbon birders themselves or are just beginning to explore this perspective.
— Jans Daniels-Trautner, Der Falke
...what does it mean to be a birder in the age of extinction? What is a life list worth in the face of a climate crisis? Can conservation and travel coincide? Enter Low-Carbon Birding, edited by Javier Caletrío. This collection of over 30 essays by a slate of concerned writers bluntly, yet elegantly, answers these questions and provides a blueprint for how birding can evolve to protect the species we have left.
— Rebecca Minardi, American Birding Association
— Mike Toms, BTO News
Ecological economists can find rich inspiration from the captivating case of birdwatching, which can serve as a valuable basis for further studies of environmental values, degrowth, nature connectedness, and political ecology. Ultimately, this book can be seen as a degrowth manifesto that reveals problems with the increasing economisation of nature and the commodification of the birdwatching experience.
— Jakub Kronenberg, Ecological Economics
… this is not a book about a dreary life of self- denial, but about a more sustainable refocusing of our engagement with and enjoyment of birds.
— Barry Gray
Javier Caletrío (editor) is a birdwatcher and researcher on sustainability transitions and public perceptions of environmental change. Other contributors include individuals with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, from seasoned patch birders to novices enjoying the freedom afforded by cycling and the pleasures of train travel.
Contributors
Foreword Mike Clarke
Preface
Acknowledgements
Introduction Javier Caletrío
1 Are We Addicted to High-Carbon Ornithology? Javier Caletrío
2 Questions of Travel, Climate and Responsibility Javier Caletrío
3 The Seven Cs of Patch Birding Nick Moran
4 Understanding Our Local Birds Angela Turner
5 Long-term Local Science Ben Sheldon
6 The Perpetual Patch Roger Emmens
7 The Long Rhythms of a Place José Ignacio Dies Jambrino
8 A Life of Local Birding Matt Phelps
9 The Joys of Patch Birding Maria Scullion
10 A Patch Year David Raffle
11 Hunting Hawfinch Steve Gale
12 In Praise of ‘Projects’ Mark Bannister
13 The Backyard Jungle Finley Hutchinson
14 My Patch and the Plastic Problem Siân Mercer
15 Eleventh-Hour Birding Simon Gillings
16 Listening Again to Birdsong Dave Langlois
17 The Sound of Summer Arjun Dutta
18 Birding in the Yorkshire Dales Steve Ward
19 TG42 Tim Allwood
20 Shrikes from the Bike Dave Langlois
21 The Best Kind of Golden Oriole Gavin Haig
22 From Angst to Tranquillity Jonathan Dean
23 Redrawing My Birding Horizons Sorrel Lyall
24 Island Holidays by Train Amy Robjohns
25 Lammergeyers from Leeds Jonnie Fisk
26 Bringing Birding Home Nick Acheson
27 Little Steps, Big Difference Steve Dudley
28 Climate and the Cuckoo Calendar Lowell Mills-Frater
29 Climate Change in the Kalahari Amanda Bourne
30 Unsettling Journeys Kieran Lawrence
31 Witness to Extinction Alexander Lees
Afterword
Notes
Index