The latest TikTok trend? Birdwatching! No, it’s not just for older retirees or for animal fanatics. It’s taking over TikTok with over 181 million views! Millennials and Gen Zers are getting really into it.
Your FYP page may have a bunch of vids of 20-somethings putting a bird feeder into their window and watching for hours. Or maybe it’s filled with people sharing the best field guides or bird-call apps. Whatever it is, your FYP likely has some sort of birdwatching vid on it.
How’s it gotten so popular? TikToker Zach Miko bought a bird feeder on a whim and likes how birdwatching forces him to slow down. “I’ll sit and watch for an hour. The birds are so funny and fascinating and full of life — but it’s also so fleeting,” he explains. “When you sit still just staring at birds you can’t doom scroll or do work emails or else you might miss the three seconds that one cool bird pops by. It breaks my heart how many birds I couldn’t get my phone out in time to take a picture.”
Twenty-six-year-old TikToker Alana’s also become obsessed with birdwatching, she even started a local meet-up for other bird lovers! “Eventually, that led to me sitting outside with my dog to look for them. Then I downloaded the Merlin Bird ID app so that I could track and identify which birds I was hearing,” she said. “Some of them bring binoculars while others just bring coffee. We sit and chat with the app open and get all giddy when we hear a new bird call. It’s since expanded from the little stoop outside my apartment to now going to the local park with binoculars and a friend or two to spot other birds.”
Source: Bustle