Move over, Grandpa: Gen Z is going birding. Could this resurgent hobby takeover be a recession indicator, or simply another return to analog ways?

Additionally, a 2022 survey from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that 37% of the adult population was birding, with Millennials and Gen Z contributing largely to the population of birders.

But what is it, exactly, that’s getting young people out into the parks, binoculars to the sky?

A possible recession indicator

While, it is hard to say definitively why the resurgence in birding, some signs point to the hobby’s affordability amid economic uncertainty and high costs of living.

NielsenIQ’s Global Gen Z Spending Report found that Gen Z’s spending is expected to see $2.7 trillion in growth over the next few years. The report also stated that Gen Z will become the highest consumer spending class in many regions of the world by 2030.

Despite this, Gen Z is feeling the effects of inflation, and is starting to adjust their habits accordingly. The Harris Poll’s recent Gen Z Weekend Report states that 68% of Gen Z say going out isn’t worth the effect on their wallet, and 49% cite saving money as their main reason for staying home.

Enter: birding.

Birding is an affordable hobby. At its most simple, you go outside and look. And even beyond that, the things that amplify your birding experience are often free or fairly affordable.

For instance, Cornell’s Merlin Bird ID app — created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology— is free to download and use, and has a 4.9 star rating on the Apple app store. Birders can use this app to identify birds via sound or photo, and from there you can maintain a list of all the birds you have seen.

“We really want people to be able to get out and enjoy the birds around them and make that experience as easy as possible — that’s why it’s important for us to keep Merlin Bird ID free,” Merlin told Moneywise. “Because the app is free, everyone around the world can learn a little bit about the birds near them, and that’s really cool.”

One birder on TikTok — @treeladymorg — shared that their “favorite thing about birding is how accessible it actually is.” They said that you can get birding books from the library, thrift a set of binoculars or even just use your eyes on their own to look.

“It really helps you appreciate the little things,” they said.

Returning to analog ways, or ‘touching grass’

In a similar vein, the resurgence of birding could be associated with Gen Z’s affinity for returning to a more analog age. I mean, what’s more analog than going outside?