I was never really interested in birds.
It’s not that I disliked them. . . but despite studying zoology and working as a zoo educator, I just never really cared that much!
Then, in September of 2018 I took a spontaneous trip to Belize because I found a cheap plane ticket. I happened to stay at an Airbnb that was also a banding station. A few days there with some amazing and passionate birders was all it took and I was hooked.
Later on I learned that bird people often refer to their intro into bird watching by talking about their spark bird. The Audubon defines it as, “a species that triggers a lifelong passion for birding.”
For me it was more than that – it was the whole experience staying at Toucan Ridge. However, if I had to pick I would say that my spark bird was the golden-hooded tanager they let me release after it was banded.
Like many people, I definitely saw bird watching as an old people activity. It took seeing people my age passionate about birds to really get me excited about it.
A few months later in February of 2019 I downloaded Ebird in Hawaii and the rest is history. I can’t wait to share my life list journey with you!
