Birdwatching takes off among young Koreans

Birdwatching is emerging as a popular hobby among Korea’s millennials and Gen Z, offering an accessible way to observe nature and take a break from digital content. Smartphones have lowered the barrier to entry, while social media and celebrity interest have helped make birding trendy. In Korea, enthusiasts often watch birds in apartment complexes and public parks, finding enjoyment close to home.

Instagram posts tagged birdwatching number approximately 144,000, while posts tagged birdwatching records and birdwatching life number around 17,000 and 14,000, respectively.

KoreanBirder’s YouTube channel has 510,000 subscribers.

The U.K.’s Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reported that about 750,000 people aged 16 to 29 regularly watched birds, a 1,088 percent increase since 2018; the overall birdwatching population grew by 47 percent.

Smartphone cameras can capture bird photos, and apps can help identify species using clues such as birdsong and feather patterns.

Hyun Ji-yoon runs the Instagram account Birdwatching Diary, while Park Im-ja runs Korea’s first independent bookstore specializing in birdwatching.

Published Oct 24, 2026 12:00 am KST

Birdwatching, the hobby of observing birds in nature, has recently gained popularity on social media. Captured from Instagram

As you stroll among the trees, you hear a rustle and stop to listen. You raise your binoculars and quietly scan the spot where the sound came from. After waiting patiently, you may finally catch a glimpse of something rarely encountered in everyday life: a small, precious bird.

Birdwatching, or birding, is emerging as a new hobby among Korea’s millennials and Gen Z. Until recently, it was largely seen as a pastime for middle-aged and older people, requiring expensive equipment and specialized knowledge. But smartphones have made the activity accessible to almost anyone. With celebrities, including actress Kim Tae-ri, author Chung Se-rang and model Lee So-ra, sharing their interest in birdwatching, it has even gained a reputation as a trendy hobby.

Taking off during COVID-19, with smartphones lowering the barrier to entry

Content about birdwatching has recently proliferated on social media. On Instagram, posts tagged “birdwatching" number approximately 144,000, while those tagged “birdwatching records" and “birdwatching life” number around 17,000 and 14,000, respectively. A growing number of social media influencers are also documenting their birdwatching experiences, alongside YouTubers such as KoreanBirder, whose channel has 510,000 subscribers.

Birdwatching is also gaining popularity among younger people overseas. In May, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) in the U.K. reported that approximately 750,000 people in the country’s GenZ population, aged 16 to 29, regularly enjoyed watching birds. That figure represents an increase of more than tenfold, or 1,088 percent, since 2018. By comparison, the overall birdwatching population grew by 47 percent over the same period, highlighting the particularly rapid growth among younger people.

Actress Kim Tae-ri, left, discusses birdwatching, one of her hobbies, during an appearance on Netflix Korea’s YouTube channel. Captured from YouTube

What explains the enthusiasm for birdwatching among young people across cultures? One factor is that smartphones have dramatically lowered the barrier to entry. People no longer need to carry expensive cameras or bulky field guides to get started. Smartphone cameras are often sufficient to capture bird photos, while various apps can help identify species using even subtle clues, such as birdsong or feather patterns. The spread of social media content showcasing the appeal of birdwatching has also helped improve its image.

Above all, birdwatching offers a form of digital detox and emotional respite. Amid the flood of stimulating digital content, quietly observing birds in nature can bring comfort and peace. The fact that birdwatching began spreading rapidly among younger generations around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic further supports this view.

Hyun Ji-yoon, 29, who runs the Instagram account Birdwatching Diary, documenting her birdwatching experiences through comics, said, “Birdwatching is less exhausting because it isn’t a hobby centered on consumption, but one that involves observing an ecosystem as it is.”

In Korea, many birdwatching groups meet in urban settings, including apartment complexes and public parks. This trend may also reflect a growing desire to reconnect with nature in response to the often harsh and impersonal rhythms of city life.

Park Im-ja, who runs the country’s first independent bookstore specializing in birdwatching, said, “After I first started watching birds around my apartment complex during the COVID-19 pandemic six years ago, terms such as ‘urban birdwatching’ and ‘apartment birdwatching’ became much more widespread.”

“I think people are drawn to birds because birdwatching offers a pleasure they can enjoy without having to venture far from their everyday lives,” she added.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

观鸟正逐渐成为韩国千禧一代和Z世代的热门爱好，它提供了一种便捷的方式来观察自然，并暂时摆脱电子产品的束缚。智能手机降低了观鸟的门槛，而社交媒体和名人效应则助力观鸟成为一种时尚。在韩国，观鸟爱好者经常在公寓楼和公园等公共场所观鸟，在家附近就能享受观鸟的乐趣。

Instagram 上带有“观鸟”标签的帖子数量约为 144,000 条，而带有“观鸟记录”和“观鸟生活”标签的帖子数量分别约为 17,000 条和 14,000 条。

KoreanBirder 的 YouTube 频道拥有 510,000 名订阅者。

英国皇家鸟类保护协会报告称，约有 75 万 16 至 29 岁的年轻人经常观鸟，比 2018 年增长了 1088%；观鸟总人数增长了 47%。

智能手机摄像头可以拍摄鸟类照片，应用程序可以利用鸟鸣声和羽毛图案等线索帮助识别鸟类物种。

Hyun Ji-yoon 运营着 Instagram 账号 Birdwatching Diary，而 Park Im-ja 则经营着韩国第一家专门从事观鸟的独立书店。

发布于2026年10月24日凌晨12:00（韩国标准时间）

观鸟，这项在自然环境中观察鸟类的爱好，最近在社交媒体上越来越受欢迎。图片来自Instagram

漫步林间，你听到一阵沙沙声，便停下脚步倾听。你举起望远镜，静静地扫视着声音传来的方向。耐心等待之后，你或许终于能瞥见日常生活中难得一见的景象：一只娇小而珍贵的鸟儿。

观鸟，或称观鸟活动，正在韩国千禧一代和Z世代中兴起，成为一项新兴爱好。此前，观鸟主要被视为中老年人的消遣，需要昂贵的设备和专业知识。但智能手机的普及，让几乎人人都能参与其中。包括演员金泰梨、作家郑世朗和模特李素拉在内的众多名人也纷纷分享了他们对观鸟的兴趣，使之成为一种时尚爱好。

新冠疫情期间，智能手机降低了准入门槛，推动了这一领域的蓬勃发展。

近年来，观鸟相关的内容在社交媒体上迅速传播。在Instagram上，带有“birdwatching”（观鸟）标签的帖子数量约为14.4万条，而带有“birdwatching records”（观鸟记录）和“birdwatching life”（观鸟生活）标签的帖子数量分别约为1.7万条和1.4万条。越来越多的社交媒体达人也开始记录他们的观鸟经历，此外还有像KoreanBirder这样的YouTube博主，其频道拥有51万订阅者。

在海外，观鸟活动也越来越受到年轻人的欢迎。英国皇家鸟类保护协会（RSPB）五月份发布的报告显示，该国约有75万Z世代（16至29岁）人群经常观鸟。这一数字较2018年增长了十倍以上，增幅高达1088%。相比之下，同期观鸟总人数仅增长了47%，凸显了年轻人群体观鸟活动的快速增长。

演员金泰梨（左）在Netflix韩国的YouTube频道上谈到了观鸟，这是她的爱好之一。（图片来自YouTube）

是什么原因导致不同文化背景下的年轻人对观鸟如此热情？其中一个因素是智能手机极大地降低了观鸟的门槛。人们不再需要携带昂贵的相机或笨重的野外指南就能开始观鸟。智能手机的摄像头通常足以拍摄鸟类照片，而各种应用程序甚至可以利用鸟鸣或羽毛图案等细微线索来识别鸟类。社交媒体上大量展现观鸟魅力的内容也提升了观鸟的形象。

最重要的是，观鸟提供了一种数字排毒和情感慰藉的方式。在铺天盖地的刺激性数字内容中，静静地观察大自然中的鸟类可以带来慰藉与平静。新冠疫情期间，观鸟在全球年轻一代中迅速普及，也进一步印证了这一点。

29 岁的 Hyun Ji-yoon 经营着 Instagram 账号 Birdwatching Diary，通过漫画记录她的观鸟经历。她说：“观鸟不那么累人，因为它不是一种以消费为中心的爱好，而是一种观察生态系统本来面目的爱好。”

在韩国，许多观鸟团体选择在城市环境中聚会，例如公寓楼和公园。这种趋势或许也反映出人们越来越渴望重新与自然建立联系，以应对城市生活常常冷漠而缺乏人情味的节奏。

经营韩国第一家专门从事观鸟的独立书店的朴任子表示：“六年前新冠疫情期间，我开始在公寓附近观察鸟类，之后‘城市观鸟’和‘公寓观鸟’等术语就变得更加普遍了。”

她补充说：“我认为人们喜欢观鸟是因为观鸟能让他们享受到乐趣，而无需远离日常生活。”

本文来自《韩国日报》（《韩国时报》的姊妹报），由人工智能生成系统翻译，并由《韩国时报》编辑。