birder

American  

[bur-der] / ˈbɜr dər /

noun

1. a person who raises birds.

2. bird watcher.

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Etymology

Origin of birder

1475–85 for earlier sense “bird-catcher”; 1820–30 birder for def. 1; bird + -er ¹

Explanation

A birder is someone who spends a lot of time outside looking for nuthatches, finches, orioles, and woodpeckers. If you're a fan of flying feathered friends, you should get some binoculars and become a birder! Birders are fascinated by birds of all kinds. Before the 20th century, this word referred to people who catch birds, but these days it's a synonym for "bird watcher." Some birders spend a lot of their free time adding birds to their life list: searching for the rare Kirtland's Warbler in Michigan or excitedly identifying a limpkin near a Florida marsh. Even if you just enjoy watching chickadees on your backyard bird feeder, you can still call yourself a birder.

Example Sentences

“I literally walk out and I talk to my plants. I’m starting to become a birder as well. All things I would never imagine a boy from Philadelphia would become.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

In fact, any birder will tell you that the sky-rending screech that accompanies bald eagles in most media depictions actually belongs to a red-tailed hawk.

From Slate • Feb. 21, 2026

Gray became a birder overnight and has been frequenting Tompkins Square Park during migration seasons ever since.

From Salon • Jul. 29, 2025

“Whether you are an expert birder who has been birding your whole life or you have never thought about birds, you are welcome to join Project Phoenix,” Sanderfoot said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2025

This answer doesn’t match with the other facts he knows about Dr. Martin: that she’s a birder, that she heals injured animals, that she returns birds to the sky, to their families.

From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers