IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v17y2020i19p7310-d424501.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19) Pandemic Lockdown Influences Nature-Based Recreational Activity: The Case of Birders

Author

Listed:
  • Christoph Randler

    (Department of Biology, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 24, D-72076 Tuebingen, Germany)

  • Piotr Tryjanowski

    (Institute of Zoology, Poznan University of Life Science, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625 Poznań, Poland)

  • Jukka Jokimäki

    (Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, P.O. Box 122, FI-96101 Rovaniemi, Finland)

  • Marja-Liisa Kaisanlahti-Jokimäki

    (Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, P.O. Box 122, FI-96101 Rovaniemi, Finland)

  • Naomi Staller

    (Department of Biology, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 24, D-72076 Tuebingen, Germany)

Abstract

The new corona virus infection SARS-CoV2 which was later renamed COVID-19 is a pandemic affecting public health. The fear and the constraints imposed to control the pandemic may correspondingly influence leisure activities, such as birding, which is the practice of observing birds based on visual and acoustic cues. Birders are people who carry out birding observations around the globe and contribute to the massive data collection in citizen science projects. Contrasting to earlier COVID-19 studies, which have concentrated on clinical, pathological, and virological topics, this study focused on the behavioral changes of birders. A total of 4484 questionnaire survey responses from 97 countries were received. The questionnaire had an open-ended style. About 85% of respondents reported that COVID-19 has changed their birding behavior. The most significant change in birdwatchers’ behavior was related to the geographic coverage of birding activities, which became more local. People focused mostly on yard birding. In total, 12% of respondents ( n = 542 cases) reported having more time for birding, whereas 8% ( n = 356 cases) reported having less time for birding. Social interactions decreased since respondents, especially older people, changed their birding behavior toward birding alone or with their spouse. Women reported more often than men that they changed to birding alone or with their spouse, and women also reported more often about canceled fieldtrips or society meetings. Respondents from higher developed countries reported that they spend currently more time for birding, especially for birding alone or with their spouse, and birding at local hotspots. Our study suggests that long lockdowns with strict regulations may severely impact on leisure activities. In addition, a temporal and spatial shift in birding due to the pandemic may influence data quality in citizen science projects. As nature-based recreation will be directed more toward nearby sites, environmental management resources and actions need to be directed to sites that are located near the users, e.g., in urban and suburban areas. The results can be applied with caution to other nature-based recreational activities.

Suggested Citation

  • Christoph Randler & Piotr Tryjanowski & Jukka Jokimäki & Marja-Liisa Kaisanlahti-Jokimäki & Naomi Staller, 2020. "SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19) Pandemic Lockdown Influences Nature-Based Recreational Activity: The Case of Birders," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-16, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:19:p:7310-:d:424501
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/19/7310/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/19/7310/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sijia Li & Yilin Wang & Jia Xue & Nan Zhao & Tingshao Zhu, 2020. "The Impact of COVID-19 Epidemic Declaration on Psychological Consequences: A Study on Active Weibo Users," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-9, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Tianle Liu & Li Ma & Linsong Cheng & Yilei Hou & Yali Wen, 2021. "Is Ecological Birdwatching Tourism a More Effective Way to Transform the Value of Ecosystem Services?—A Case Study of Birdwatching Destinations in Mingxi County, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-17, November.
    2. Christoph Randler & Nadine Kalb & Piotr Tryjanowski, 2021. "Sentiment Analysis of Comments of American Birders during Two Waves of the COVID-19 Pandemic Reveal More Negative Sentiments in the Context of Birding," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-9, December.
    3. Amber L. Pearson & Victoria Breeze & Aaron Reuben & Gwen Wyatt, 2021. "Increased Use of Porch or Backyard Nature during COVID-19 Associated with Lower Stress and Better Symptom Experience among Breast Cancer Patients," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-13, August.
    4. Emil Andrzej Karpiński & Andrzej Robert Skrzypczak, 2022. "The Significance of Angling in Stress Reduction during the COVID-19 Pandemic—Environmental and Socio-Economic Implications," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-18, April.
    5. Rabya Mughal & Linda J. M. Thomson & Norma Daykin & Helen J. Chatterjee, 2022. "Rapid Evidence Review of Community Engagement and Resources in the UK during the COVID-19 Pandemic: How Can Community Assets Redress Health Inequities?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-18, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Israel Escudero-Castillo & Fco. Javier Mato-Díaz & Ana Rodriguez-Alvarez, 2021. "Furloughs, Teleworking and Other Work Situations during the COVID-19 Lockdown: Impact on Mental Well-Being," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-16, March.
    2. S. Brent Jackson & Kathryn T. Stevenson & Lincoln R. Larson & M. Nils Peterson & Erin Seekamp, 2021. "Outdoor Activity Participation Improves Adolescents’ Mental Health and Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-18, March.
    3. Massimiliano Scopelliti & Maria Giuseppina Pacilli & Antonio Aquino, 2021. "TV News and COVID-19: Media Influence on Healthy Behavior in Public Spaces," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-15, February.
    4. Yuan Zheng & Jingyi Zhou & Xianglong Zeng & Mingyan Jiang & Tian P. S. Oei, 2022. "A New Second-Generation Mindfulness-Based Intervention Focusing on Well-Being: A Randomized Control Trial of Mindfulness-Based Positive Psychology," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(6), pages 2703-2724, August.
    5. Clemens Koestner & Viktoria Eggert & Theresa Dicks & Kristin Kalo & Carolina Zähme & Pavel Dietz & Stephan Letzel & Till Beutel, 2022. "Psychological Burdens among Teachers in Germany during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic—Subgroup Analysis from a Nationwide Cross-Sectional Online Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-16, August.
    6. Durmuş Burak, 2023. "The Effect of Risk and Protective Factors on Primary School Students’ COVID-19 Anxiety: Back to School After the Pandemic," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(1), pages 29-51, February.
    7. Maraseni, Tek & Poudyal, Bishnu Hari & Aryal, Kishor & Laudari, Hari Krishna, 2022. "Impact of COVID-19 in the forestry sector: A case of lowland region of Nepal," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    8. Ilse Adriana Gutiérrez-Pérez & Pedro Delgado-Floody & Daniel Jerez-Mayorga & Diego Soto-García & Felipe Caamaño-Navarrete & Isela Parra-Rojas & Nacim Molina-Gutiérrez & Iris Paola Guzmán-Guzmán, 2021. "Lifestyle and Sociodemographic Parameters Associated with Mental and Physical Health during COVID-19 Confinement in Three Ibero-American Countries. A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-13, May.
    9. Christian M. Hafner, 2020. "The Spread of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Time and Space," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-13, May.
    10. Siqi Lai & Brian Deal, 2022. "Parks, Green Space, and Happiness: A Spatially Specific Sentiment Analysis Using Microblogs in Shanghai, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-18, December.
    11. Jadsada Kunno & Busaba Supawattanabodee & Chavanant Sumanasrethakul & Chuthamat Kaewchandee & Wachiraporn Wanichnopparat & Krit Prasittichok, 2022. "The Relationship between Attitudes and Satisfaction Concerning the COVID-19 Vaccine and Vaccine Boosters in Urban Bangkok, Thailand: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-11, April.
    12. Mateusz Ciski & Krzysztof Rząsa, 2023. "Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression in the Investigation of Local COVID-19 Anomalies Based on Population Age Structure in Poland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(10), pages 1-23, May.
    13. Yang Yang & Keqiao Liu & Siqi Li & Man Shu, 2020. "Social Media Activities, Emotion Regulation Strategies, and Their Interactions on People’s Mental Health in COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-16, December.
    14. Adina-Iuliana Jigani & Camelia Delcea & Margareta-Stela Florescu & Liviu-Adrian Cotfas, 2024. "Tracking Happiness in Times of COVID-19: A Bibliometric Exploration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-35, June.
    15. Alessandro Germani & Livia Buratta & Elisa Delvecchio & Claudia Mazzeschi, 2020. "Emerging Adults and COVID-19: The Role of Individualism-Collectivism on Perceived Risks and Psychological Maladjustment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-15, May.
    16. Jacqueline-Nathalie Harba & Gabriela Tigu & Adriana AnaMaria Davidescu, 2021. "Exploring Consumer Emotions in Pre-Pandemic and Pandemic Times. A Sentiment Analysis of Perceptions in the Fine-Dining Restaurant Industry in Bucharest, Romania," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-24, December.
    17. Juwon Hwang & Porismita Borah & Dhavan Shah & Markus Brauer, 2021. "The Relationship among COVID-19 Information Seeking, News Media Use, and Emotional Distress at the Onset of the Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-13, December.
    18. Juan Gómez-Salgado & Montserrat Andrés-Villas & Sara Domínguez-Salas & Diego Díaz-Milanés & Carlos Ruiz-Frutos, 2020. "Related Health Factors of Psychological Distress During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-16, June.
    19. Mikyung Jun & Songyi Lee & Taeeun Shim, 2021. "First-Year College Student Life Experiences during COVID-19 in South Korea," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-18, September.
    20. Hainan Huang & Weifan Chen & Tian Xie & Yaoyao Wei & Ziqing Feng & Weijiong Wu, 2021. "The Impact of Individual Behaviors and Governmental Guidance Measures on Pandemic-Triggered Public Sentiment Based on System Dynamics and Cross-Validation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(8), pages 1-25, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:19:p:7310-:d:424501. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.