Charismatic species and birdwatching: advanced birders prefer small, shy, dull, and rare species

Studies about charismatic bird species have been carried out using the general public; among the most common charismatic attributes are body mass and coloration. However, research on birders as a target population is lacking. Birders are people who identify bird species based on visual or acoustic cues. It is important to study this group directly because they invest a lot of time and effort in citizen science projects and donate money to the conservation of nature. Identifying charismatic species for birders can help to determine the optimal flagship species for this group. Because some studies show that preferences for certain species and their attributes may be dependent on the personal characteristics of the respondents, we decided to study the preferences of different types of birder (casual, intermediate, advanced). We surveyed 2,303 German birders and found advanced birders to prefer species with a lower body mass and less coloration/brightness, compared with casual and intermediate birders. Moreover, advanced birders prefer species that are difficult to detect: that is, nocturnal species, species with larger flight distances, species with smaller population sizes, and nonurban birds. Because birders differ from the public in species preferences, this should be taken into account when species are chosen for conservation purposes, initiating citizen science projects, or management plans.