Passie voor vogels - over vroege vogelaars, vindingrijkheid en veldonderzoek

Not so long ago we knew little more about birds in our own country than whether they were harmful or useful. That is almost unimaginable when you look at the many bird watchers nowadays, 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 bird watchers, about their passion, ingenuity and tenacity in field research from the early twentieth century. When society's view of birds changed, a group of bird lovers became active. The amateur birdwatchers performed impressive field work by counting and documenting birds in various nature reserves. They wrote diaries full of data, made drawings, photos and films, documenting not only the birds but also the state of nature. Moreover, they developed many instruments for bird watching in creative ways.

Seven early Dutch bird watchers 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 bird watchers. Together they tell the history of field ornithology and show the special passion of bird lovers from the 20th century to the present.

Be amazed by the ingenuity of these early birders and the importance of their work for current research. Experience what it's like to peer at birds through binoculars and discover how everyone can contribute to bird science these days.

The exhibition was put together with the Ornithological Heritage Working Group (part of the Avifaunistic 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 bird watchers. That documentation is incredibly valuable, especially for today's bird watchers.