Birders Put Maine on Their “Lists”

By Regis Tremblay

More than 800,000 people watch wildlife in the state of Maine with a $1.3 billion impact on the state’s economy - every year. Most of these people are birdwatchers, who spend untold millions of dollars on bird feed and feeders, binoculars, telescopes and tripods, canoes and kayaks, charter cruises to observe seabirds like the puffin, and to hire professional guides to help them complete their “lists.”

And, by the way, most sportsmen and women who pursue hunting and fishing also consider themselves watchers of wildlife and birds. Combined, sportsmen and wildlife watchers contribute more than $2.4 billion annually into the state’s economy. Wildlife and Maine’s natural resources are not only BIG business, they are the lifeblood of our entire economy!

I recently attended the 11th Annual Acadia Bird Festival in Bar Harbor where 75 “birders” had gathered for four days of walking tours and a cruise aboard Friendship V to see whales, puffins, and a whole host of other seafaring birds you can only see here in Maine.

Two-thirds of these people were from other states, including a dozen from Texas and two from as far away as Oregon.

What impressed me most was the fact that the downturn in the economy had not deterred these visitors, and how much money they had spent on this trip. Each one I spoke with explained that they were checking off on their “lists” birds that could only be seen here in Maine.

Each of them had The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America, which I assumed must be the birding bible, and a small notebook in which they wrote descriptions of the birds they observed.

Earlier this summer, I attended a press conference at which The Maine Birding Trail was unveiled. The beautiful, color compendium covered all of the regions of Maine, with detailed descriptions of each area, directions, and what kinds of birds might be observed throughout the year.

State Rep. Bob Duchesne of Hudson, an avid birder, took on the task of developing the Maine Birding Trail, which was subsequently funded by the Maine Office of Tourism, Down East Books and Magazines, the Maine Audubon Society, the Department of Conservation, the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund.

In a brief speech, Rep. Duchesne pointed out that Maine is one of North America’s top birding destinations offering unmatched opportunities to find some of the country’s most sought-after species. He pointed out that birding in Maine is a year-round activity contributing $1.3 billion to the state’s economy.

His motivation to create the Maine Birding Trail, and to write the Official Guide to the Maine Birding Trail, grew out of the awareness that Maine had a marketable product but no business and marketing plan. His degree in business led him to think that with a unique product and a marketing plan, the state could reasonably expect to attract more non-resident birders who would come here year-round to “complete their lists.”

Rep. Duchesne said, “Wouldn’t it be something if with a very minimal effort at marketing this valuable commodity, we could add just 1 percent of the $1.3 billion each year? That would be $13 million extra pumped into the local economy.”

MDIF&W has primary responsibility for managing all species of inland wildlife and birds, and our “Bird Group” and regional biologists are experts in habitat, bird populations, and bird migration. Many are avid “birders” themselves. Without wise and prudent management of the habitat, may species will decline while others will become extinct or move on and find more suitable places to live.

So, to my way of thinking, we have the products and the biological experts to tap into an untapped “fan base” – people that need to discover Maine as a “world class birding destination.” As this year’s Office of Tourism’s slogan states, “There’s more to Maine” than lobsters, lighthouses, fish and game. It really is all about the natural resources which are the lifeblood of our economy and our heritage.

If we can all take care of what makes Maine unique and special and promote the unique character of our state, our economic future and quality of life will rebound.

DEPARTMENT INFORMATION

Birders Put Maine on Their “Lists”