Passie voor vogels - over vroege vogelaars, vindingrijkheid en veldonderzoek

Not so long ago, we didn't know much more about birds in our own country than whether they were harmful or useful. That is almost unimaginable when you look at the many birdwatchers today, the awareness of the annual garden bird count and all the available scientific information. Dedicated amateur birdwatchers played an important role in this through their field research.

The exhibition 'Passion for birds' is about these early birdwatchers, about their passion, ingenuity and perseverance in field research from the beginning of the twentieth century. When the social view of birds changed, a group of bird lovers became active. By counting and documenting birds in various nature reserves, the amateur birdwatchers did impressive fieldwork. They wrote diaries full of data, made drawings, photos and films and in this way documented not only the birds but also the state of nature. In addition, they developed many instruments themselves in creative ways to observe birds.

Seven early Dutch birdwatchers form the core of the exhibition. In some cases never before shown, archive material is combined with unique objects from museums and heirs of the birdwatchers. Together they tell the history of field ornithology and show the special passion of bird lovers from the 20th century to the present.

Marvel at the ingenuity of these early birders and the importance of their work to current research. Experience bird watching through binoculars yourself, and discover how everyone can contribute to bird science today.

The exhibition was put together with the Ornithological Heritage Working Group (part of the Avifaunist Circle of the Netherlands and the Dutch Ornithological Union). This working group was created out of concern about the possible disappearance of the archives of these birdwatchers. This documentation is incredibly valuable, especially for the current time and today's birdwatchers.