Do You Twitch?

Written By: Scott W. Holland

Twitching is a term often used to describe bird watchers in general. This, however, is not at all accurate as the term was created to describe those bird watchers who, to be polite, can be considered overly enthusiastic. In fact, twitchers are obsessive in their pursuit of “new” and rare birds. Often spending loads of time and money in their pursuit as well as travelling to the four corners of the globe in search of their prey with the hope of spotting it and feeling that sense of triumph as they cross their latest conquest off the list and immediately set about on a new quest.

The origins of the term Twitcher are traced back to Britain, with two rather different interpretations.  The first is said to have derived from two enthusiastic birders who rode their motorcycles around the U.K. in search of rare and wonderful birds. They rode their motorcycles in rain and snow and were often seen in winter shivering (or twitching) from the cold while they continued their pursuit. A second explanation is that the term originated from Howard Medhurst, an avid British birder who would travel across the country or the globe at the drop of a hat to get a glimpse of an elusive bird. Medhurst had a physical twitch as part of his normal behavior and thus it is said, the term Twitching was born. Describing a physical or involuntary muscle contraction experienced when a rare bird was presumed to be nearby.

Fortunately, the behavior of most birders is not that of a Twitcher, however the excitement can be just as real. In North America the enthusiasm around bird watching has been growing and dropping everything to see a rare bird is not out of the question for many diehards. In fact, in 2021, a Painted Bunting was witnessed in Maryland and caused birders by the dozens to descend on Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, causing traffic congestion and grid lock well after the park was closed for the evening.  And in 2019, a Yellow-browed Warbler, native to temperate Asia and small parts of Western Europe, was spotted on Vancouver Island and caused excitement among the birding community. In the two days the bird was “in town”, there were over 150 birders from California and Washington state as well as British Columbia, Alberta and other provinces, all trying to get a glimpse or picture of this bird, making its North American debut.

So, the next time someone calls you a Twitcher, you can feign offense over the cruel and uncultivated use of the word applied to someone like you.  Perhaps we can create our own word or phrase that describes people like us. Pleasant, polite, intelligent, and responsible who happen to enjoy bird watching. How about, “Ditch the Twitch and become an Avian Adventurer”, or a “Cultivated Curator of Avian Encounters”? Let me know if you have a word or phrase that you think might catch on.  I’d love to hear it!