Spatial, temporal, and motivational changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic in a nature-based leisure activity - A global survey of birders
Christoph Randler,
Jukka Jokimäki,
Maria de Salvo,
Renan de Almeida Barbosa,
Naomi Staller,
Piotr Tryjanowski,
Marja-Liisa Kaisanlahti-Jokimäki,
Jo-Szu Tsai,
Raúl Ortiz-Pulido,
Arash Rahafar,
Laura Giuffrida
Affiliations
Christoph Randler
Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 24, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Corresponding author
Jukka Jokimäki
Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland
Maria de Salvo
Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
Renan de Almeida Barbosa
Graduate Program in Science Education, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
Naomi Staller
Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 24, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
Piotr Tryjanowski
Department of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland; Department of Life Science Systems, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany; Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
Marja-Liisa Kaisanlahti-Jokimäki
Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland
Jo-Szu Tsai
Department of Biological Resources, National Chiayi University, Chiayi, Taiwan
Raúl Ortiz-Pulido
Population Ecology Laboratory, Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo, Pachuca, Mexico
Arash Rahafar
Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 24, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
Laura Giuffrida
Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
Summary: Birdwatchers contribute an immense amount of data to citizen science databases. Thus, birding is important from the leisure perspective and from nature conservation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we studied birdwatchers on a global scale in over 50 countries by applying the model of behavior change, which focuses on changes in opportunity (spatial, temporal), motivation, and capability (avoidance behavior). The sample consisted of 5051 participants (3437 men, 1575 women, mean age 49 years). Birders changed their spatial behavior to more local birding and to avoidance behavior by choosing different places and different clock times. Concerning motivation, being outdoors showed the highest increase and being with friends the strongest decrease. Higher specialized birders experienced a stronger shift toward regional birding. Birders that focused on new, local, or unrewarding places experienced an increase in motivation. Our study empirically supports the behavior change model and highlights the need to address the heterogeneity of the recreationists.
