Why birding? Well, why not? We search for rare paintings, sculpture from foreign lands, colorful costumes, new and unusual music or sounds – why not add birds to the travel experience? France may not have the repertoire of exotic African birds that fly over Spain, but it is remarkably rich in native birdlife, including at least one species found nowhere else. [Name disclosed in future post – with picture if I can get permission.]
But, why birding I hear the non-birder cry? Here’s why: it’s fun, it adds another dimension to your travel experience, it sharpens your eyes, and when you return home, your own environment looks wild and strange. I traveled through Spain with two non-birders – at least at first. By the end of the first few days, they were checking maps, driving off-route, and exulting when they spotted something on our lists ahead of me. (Which happened way too often. )
So, birding in France. Before you go, check it out – find out what birds are found in the areas you are planning to visit. Some guidebooks and websites provide lists, pictures, and maps. France has a rare bird alert hotline:
Inside France: 01-43-06-72-50
Outside France: 331-4306-7250
There are lots of regional birdlines available on-line as well.
For a master checklist, try: http://www.birdlist.org/france.htm
This website also links to sites on Nature in France, Mammals of France, and the National Parks & Nature Reserves of France.
I looked around on-line for a bit and found more interesting websites than I could reasonably explore in one sitting. This next website had such a great name and turned out to be a fun and fabulous site:
It had maps, by province, which clicked over to relevant books, local birding clubs, mailing lists, and other links. It even includes birding in Paris.
From these sites, you can launch to international bird sites, webcams posted in nests or birding hotspots, and basically spend as much or more time than you can spare birdhopping.
Enjoy!