Birdwatching in Britain has grown increasingly dependent on burning fossil fuels. Regularly driving long distances to birding hotspots and frequent flying to see exotic species are seen as perfectly normal. In the face of the climate crisis, however, a growing number of birders are reassessing the way they enjoy and study birds. In this timely book, 30 contributors—from young birdwatchers to professional ornithologists—explain why and how they are shifting to climate-friendlier approaches. Low-carbon birding, they argue, is a legitimate and valuable way of enjoying birds. Furthermore, in itself this can bring many joys, some of them unexpected. From first encounters with hawfinches to focusing in on birdsong, from the Kalahari to the Hebrides, the stories told here are not about heroic efforts to save the planet. They are simply accounts of everyday humanity in unprecedented times—ordinary people with doubts and concerns about how to live a decent life and act responsibly in a rapidly warming world. The authenticity of their voices is a testament to the moment of awakening to the climate crisis in British ornithology. Above all, Low-Carbon Birding is an urgent call for birders to leave a better legacy in the skies and across the living world.

Table of Contents:
Contributors  Foreword Mike Clarke Preface Acknowledgements  Introduction Javier Caletrío 1 Are We Addicted to High-Carbon Ornithology? Javier Caletrío 2 Questions of Travel, Climate and Responsibility Javier Caletrío 3 The Seven Cs of Patch Birding Nick Moran 4 Understanding Our Local Birds Angela Turner 5 Long-term Local Science Ben Sheldon 6 The Perpetual Patch Roger Emmens 7 The Long Rhythms of a Place José Ignacio Dies Jambrino 8 A Life of Local Birding Matt Phelps 9 The Joys of Patch Birding Maria Scullion 10 A Patch Year David Raffle 11 Hunting Hawfinch Steve Gale 12 In Praise of ‘Projects’ Mark Bannister 13 The Backyard Jungle Finley Hutchinson 14 My Patch and the Plastic Problem Siân Mercer 15 Eleventh-Hour Birding Simon Gillings 16 Listening Again to Birdsong Dave Langlois 17 The Sound of Summer Arjun Dutta 18 Birding in the Yorkshire Dales Steve Ward 19 TG42 Tim Allwood 20 Shrikes from the Bike Dave Langlois 21 The Best Kind of Golden Oriole Gavin Haig 22 From Angst to Tranquillity Jonathan Dean 23 Redrawing My Birding Horizons Sorrel Lyall 24 Island Holidays by Train Amy Robjohns 25 Lammergeyers from Leeds Jonnie Fisk 26 Bringing Birding Home Nick Acheson 27 Little Steps, Big Difference Steve Dudley 28 Climate and the Cuckoo Calendar Lowell Mills-Frater 29 Climate Change in the Kalahari Amanda Bourne 30 Unsettling Journeys Kieran Lawrence 31 Witness to Extinction Alexander Lees Afterword Notes  Index