Please help out Jamal Essayli who is researching "the characteristics of the under-studied population of serious birders" as part of his PhD in clinical psychology, by completing his survey on Investigating the Distinctive Features of Birders!

From Jamal: "My name is Jamal Essayli and I am currently a graduate student working towards a PhD in clinical psychology. One project of keen interest to me involves research on the characteristics of the under-studied population of serious birders. Anecdotal evidence seems to suggest some similarities between serious birding and other demanding, intense-focused pursuits such as ultrarunning, mountain climbing, and long-distance swimming, yet there has been surprisingly little research investigating these behaviors. Some of the topics that I’m hoping to explore are the range of individuals’ motivations for birding, how people first became involved in birding, specific psychological traits that attract people to birding and make them good at it, and the impact that serious birding can have on birders’ lives. While the general population seems to understand that extreme effort, focus, and dedication are necessary to be a successful ultrarunner or mountain climber, there appears to be a substantial underestimation of what serious birding entails."

I've always thought that birders make a great psychology study, so please do help him out. Participation should take between 20 – 50 minutes to answer a handful of questionnaires about birding and related topics. Some of it is a bit US-oriented, but Jamal is keen to hear from birders worldwide so please have a go.

Survey link: Investigating the Distinctive Features of Birders