birding

American

[bur-ding] / ˈbɜr dɪŋ /

noun

the identification and observation of wild birds in their natural habitat as a recreation; bird-watching.

birding British

/ ˈbɜːdɪŋ /

noun

another name for bird-watching

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

birder noun

Etymology

Origin of birding

1560–70 for earlier sense “hunting birds”; bird + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Then inspiration hit: I booked us a last-minute getaway to Mexico, and ordered a Mexican birding guide that I could gift-wrap and put under the tree, with our flight info tucked inside.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

Bostic said he plans to spend more time after leaving the Fed on interests including birding and work related to financial literacy and economic development.

From Barron's • Dec. 16, 2025

Young Watson would accompany his father on birding trips.

From BBC • Nov. 7, 2025

Gray’s unexpected plunge into the world of birding is becoming more common.

From Salon • Jul. 29, 2025

He told me I was going birding with him the next day whether I liked it or not.

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023