Bird(er)s of a feather? A typology of birders to South African national parks based on their behavioural involvement

This research segmented the birding market attracted to South African national parks based on their behavioural involvement. The data were collected by means of a self-administrated electronic questionnaire where 310 questionnaires were completed. The factor analysis identified five behavioural involvement pursuits, namelytravel and sharing pursuits, passive consumer pursuits, leisure and conservation pursuits, knowledge and participation pursuits, and active engagement pursuits. Based on the behavioural involvement factors, three birding segments were identified, resulting in a CIA-typology of birdwatchers, namelyCasual; IntermediateandAvid birdwatchers. The segments were labelled appropriately to resemble the level of involvement of each segment, ranging from low and moderate, to high. This research contributes to the existing literature on birding in general and contributes to the availability of literature regarding birdwatching in the southern hemisphere, especially on South African birdwatching tourism, thus facilitating a greater understanding of this niche leisure market.

Automated summary

This research segmented birdwatchers in South African national parks into three categories based on their behavioral involvement, resulting in a CIA-typology of birdwatchers. This study contributes to the existing literature on birding and provides insights into birdwatching tourism in the southern hemisphere, specifically in South Africa.