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

See Examples For:

birder

Ian Swift, natural resources manager at the Irvine Ranch Water District, said the bird was spotted about two weeks ago by a birder who then posted it on a public forum for birdwatchers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

Fellow birder John White said: "His knowledge is unbounded. He loves it. He'll talk for ever about birds."

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

“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

I sat down next to him and asked if he’d seen the bearded birder.

From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs