Bird watching is nothing new. There are people who do it mostly for fun and there are those who make it a serious part of their outdoor activities. There are many places in the world where different birds of different species flock together. Places like the Amazon, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Gambia and many more offer a great bird tour experience to anyone with a natural fondness and curiosity for wildlife. Joining bird tours with your family should be a regular excursion as it creates a unique connection not just between the family members and the birds but also about nature. You learn and enjoy the experience at the same time. Besides, it’s a really great way to spend time outdoors without doing much of the heavy lifting.

Here are three reasons why bird tours are a great family activity when traveling.

1.  You Watch Birds in their Natural Environment
Reading books and watching documentaries about birds definitely provide a solid foundation for gaining knowledge. However, that cannot be compared with the experience of observing birds in their natural environment. You get to learn that different birds prefer different habitats. Some birds prefer to roam around forests and woodlands while others make their way into wetlands or grasslands. You get to observe how birds communicate and respond to movements and sounds of their own or of the people around them. Not only that, you will also learn how to adjust to them or defend yourself (if necessary). This is a fun activity that practically anyone from your family can appreciate. The more you learn about bird species and their habitats, the more you can also help contribute to preserving them and prolonging their survival.

2.  It Makes You Appreciate Nature More
If your family is traveling to a different country, make sure that you sign up and make a stop at a local park or an unmanned rainforest to truly appreciate nature. It will be a very memorable experience – in that your children can build upon or commemorate as they grow older. When you make an effort to tour areas where there are a lot of bird sightings, you actually get to explore the environment a little bit more. You start to get introduced to different trees that you would normally just ignore and you begin to understand the dynamic between these birds and wildlife in general and their surrounding environment.

3.  It is Great Social Activity
Being outdoors with your family in a relaxed environment with nothing but the promise of enjoyable experience and endless exploration is a great social activity. The children can appreciate and identify with the birds and the adults can learn with them through experts how to behave around these beautiful creatures. This is an effective way to teach children how to care about others, to observe respect and discipline in unknown territories and to appreciate the simplest and non materialistic things in life. You can meet other people who enjoy the same tours and make plans with them in your next travels.