ChinaBirdwatchingShout it from the rooftopsWhy birders are a rare breedAmong the capitals of big economies, Beijing enjoys a surprising distinction.Despite its sometimes harsh weather and chronically polluted air, it hosts more species of birds than any other such city apart from Brasília.Remarkably, however, birdwatching remains uncommon.In many countries, birders play an important role in spotting changes in bird populations and avian behaviour.A British enthusiast in Beijing, Terry Townshend, has recently set up a means of doing so without needing to stand for hours outdoors.It involves a digital listening device, installed on the roof of a 15-storey building in northern Beijing.For several months until mid-November it recorded the night-time calls of migratory birds flying above.The sounds will be used to identify night-flying species, some of which are not commonly seen overhead by day.The technique has been used in America and Europe, but Mr Townshend thinks this is its first known application in Asia.Such dedication is rare among amateurs.China has little history of birdwatching.Only in the 19th century, led by Western ornithologists, did the scientific study of birds begin.
