Stuart Winter is hooked on YouTube birdwatching, and explains why you should be, too
Wing flicks instead of Netflix, and amazing primaries rather than Amazon Prime… Welcome to the Age of the BirdTuber.
Five decades after Bill Oddie’s Little Black Bird Book identified birdwatching’s heterogeneous tribes – dudes, dippers, twitchers, bird-spotters and birders, to name but a few – a new, tech-savvy species has evolved for the 21st Century.
BirdTuber – one word, no hyphen – is the portmanteau noun coined for video bloggers chronicling avian adventures through the prism of the global phenomenon that is YouTube.
The marriage of easy-to-use and affordable digital equipment and the Google-owned streaming behemoth is today inspiring birders to become accomplished film-makers, so allowing the rest of us to vicariously enjoy the delights and desperations of hardcore birding on all manner of smart devices, 24/7.
YouTube channels brought to our screens by the likes of Backyard Aviary Adventures, Rock ’n’ Roll Birder, Dutch Birder, Badgerland Birding and a band of 20 or so fellow BirdTubers are delivering unmissable alternatives to mainstream TV’s traditional diet of soap operas, reality shows and boxset crime dramas.
Scenes shot in immaculate 4K Ultra HD, informed but conversational commentaries, and the high-adrenalin expectancy that a superstar bird will make a sudden cameo appearance are the essence of the BirdTubing experience. Through the efforts of this ever-growing community uploading content daily, there now exists a vast catalogue of 20 to 30-minute videos to provide hundreds of hours of happy viewing.
Recent evenings propped in front of the box saw me enthralled, tantalised and, finally, green-eyed with envy from watching treble bills replete with stellar casts of true birders’ birds – those enigmatic, obscure species that shine bright on checklists but invariably left on the cutting room floor of mainstream wildlife documentary studios.
My first night’s entertainment was provided by husband and wife Nigel and Kayleigh Cheetham with their latest Backyard Aviary Adventures on the trail of Penduline Tits, Tundra Bean Geese and Kentish Plover in the West Country before embarking on a quest birders have ploughed for decades – the North Norfolk pilgrimage.
The couple’s upbeat and engaging onscreen presence projects the authenticity and excitement of watching birds in the way we all aspire to experience ourselves. Nigel has a remarkable knack with the Nikon P1000 bridge camera at framing delightful up close and personal shots of birds noted for their diffidence. A trio of Penduline Tits bobbing on reed stems and a Cetti’s Warbler, the same warming shade as the mug of tea I was supping in the comfort of my armchair, made for great curtain raisers.
There is nowhere like the Birding Riviera to brew a sense of anticipation and, next on my pick list was following the Cheethams meandering the fabled North Sea coastline from RSPB Titchwell to the Broads with camera at the ready. Over a wintry weekend, the couple passed their 100 species milestone for 2026, capturing scenes of Snow Buntings, Hen Harrier, Barn Owl, Whooper Swans, Glossy Ibises and the Black-winged Kite that has become the hottest mega twitching target of recent months.
What made this episode glow was footage of an Eastern Black Redstart shimmering a fiery tail on the Sheringham seafront when it should be sunning itself somewhere in the wilds of Iran or Iraq.
An added dimension to the couple’s recent output is a charity Big Year, with the aim of seeing 280 species while simultaneously raising funds in aid of Birds on the Brink, the grant award charity supporting conservation around the world.
Next evening had me tuning into Rock ’n’ Roll Birder Matt Spracklen at the start of his year listing challenge, with trips to a frozen Tring Reservoirs in Hertfordshire, a wild goose chase at RSPB Otmoor, and then down to the West Country for a day with his father in Somerset at RSPB Ham Wall and Swell Wood.
A director’s eye for big screen visuals, a mastery of slow-motion action shots and atmospheric soundtracks create a cinematographic vibe, while the Rock ’n’ Roll Birder’s commentary, with enthusiasm for every bird filmed, be they garden favourites or dashing raptors and rarities, only enhances the viewing experience of each high-octane video.
Over following nights, there was absolutely no need for any Radio Times mainstream recommendations.
Badgerland Birding brothers Derek and Ryan Sallmann are prolific BirdTubers from Wisconsin and boast a playlist of more than 790 YouTube videos and a following of 84,700 subscribers. All birding tastes are catered for in the two or three videos of varying lengths posted weekly, each with a magazine programme feel, spanning from tips for beginners to rarity chases across the Midwest states of the USA and beyond, for the likes of Cattle Tyrant and White Wagtail. Recent explorations in the Rockies for Clark’s Nutcrackers and Mountain Bluebirds and a venture to the Pawnee National Grasslands to film Thick-billed Longspurs and ultra-elusive Mountain Plovers had me costing a trip to Colorado.
Next destination on my YouTube odyssey was a mere hop and step across the North Sea.
Folkert Jan Hoogstra – aka The Dutch Birder – is both a prolific BirdTuber and celebrated rarity finder. His recent January Big Day illustrates what a fantastic venue the Netherlands are in winter.
Zig-zagging through snow-covered woods and wetlands with friends, Folkert Jan gives a running commentary in fluent English as his group tallies a remarkable 111 species in a day. Highlights include Black Woodpecker, Great Grey Shrike, Black-shouldered Kite and (Eurasian) Treecreeper, a highly-sought rarity in the Low Countries. The trepidations of a car load of birders, binoculars ever focused, ears alert for the faintest calls, come across in every second of the 21-minute video.
Subsequent BirdTube evenings from the likes of Bright-Eyed Birding, BritHikesOntario, Hawk in The Lens, Scott Hammel, Sparky Stensaas and Stormcabbirds soon had me concluding: This is what you don’t pay your TV Licence for…
YouTube is the ultimate free-to-view service, neither requiring a subscription nor the £180 compulsory piece of paper the UK authorities now demand for watching ‘live’ broadcasting*.
Since the first grainy clip of elephants was shot by YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim at San Diego Zoo in 2005, the sharing platform’s library has burgeoned to 14.8 billion videos available to 2.7 billion active users spread across 100 countries. More than 500 hours of new content is uploaded every minute. Viewers consume five billion videos daily.
Earlier this year it was announced that, for the first time, more people in the UK were watching YouTube than the BBC, with 51.9 million tuning into the video platform compared to the 50.9 million watching the national broadcaster across all channels. The phenomenon is not age restricted, with twice as many over 55s watching YouTube than they did two years ago.
Small wonder, therefore, that so many birders are becoming converted followers. Without need to flick through TV listings magazines or read the review sections of newspapers, there is always something for the birding community to view on YouTube. There is even a high quality birders’ movie to watch.
Last autumn saw Listers: A Glimpse into Extreme Birdwatching premiered on the YouTube platform to huge acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic.
Brothers Owen and Quentin Reiser’s exploration of the American competitive birdwatching scene has Hollywood production values, a 119-minute running time, exquisitely filmed bird footage worthy of an Attenborough spectacular, and is infused with a humour and irreverence reminiscent of those hilarious National Lampoon films. Within weeks of release it had been viewed more than two million times, receiving an impressive 8.5 out 10 score on IMDb (Internet Movie Database). That’s Back to the Future, Alien and Gladiator territory.
Humbler offerings may be produced with beer rather than champagne budgets – there are reports that Listers cost $16,000 – with viewing figures counted in thousands rather than seven figures, but BirdTubing increasingly plays a part in the way birdwatchers of all levels of experience gain expertise and achieve fulfilment and joy.
As the BAFTA television awards approach this month (10 May), what better time to roll out the red carpet and shine the spotlight on some of the stars of BirdTubing?
Catching up with Nigel and Kayleigh Cheetham during a short break in their Backyard Aviary Adventures, the story of how they fledged from garden bird lovers into film-makers is worthy of a feature length movie.
“Our channel didn’t actually start out as a birding channel, but it quickly turned into one,” says Nigel from the couple’s home in Mold, North Wales. “After building an aviary in our garden during lockdown and sharing the process on YouTube, we then began filming our birding trips.
“At first, we were sleeping in the back of our car, but before long we upgraded to a van and set off on even more birding adventures.
“From challenges across the UK to trips abroad, our passion for birding has only grown. Currently, we are doing a Big Year in aid of Birds on the Brink.”
Fundraising for the grant award charity supporting global bird conservation is not the only driving force for recording birds on film.
“Our goal is to be both educational and entertaining, sharing the wide range of birds that visit or call the UK home, in a natural, fun, and organic way,” Nigel continues. “We love the challenges and the thrill of the chase. Kayleigh often describes it as a giant game of ‘Where’s Wally’!”
The game has a serious side, with the Cheethams’ desire to be received as down to earth, honest and fun but also informative at a time when the BirdTube community is growing and becoming more influential.
Kayleigh adds: “We have lots of ambitions for our channel to the point where it supports us in taking on more long-distance adventures, overseas trips, and unique experiences such as tours and pelagic trips.
“A big part of our vision is also to begin supporting conservation projects that give back to the birds and wildlife we love so much. Ultimately, our main goal is for this to become our full-time job.”
BirdTubers are unlikely to earn the multi-million dollar riches the likes of global superstars Mr Beast and Jake Paul earn from their YouTube video empires, but there is money to be made. According to Google AI overview, YouTube has a wide range of fees paid to contributors for aired content, using a dynamic known as RPM (Revenue Per Mille) with creators paid between $1 to $10 per thousand views. Sums vary significantly based on factors such as topic, audience location, viewer demographics and the type of advertising shown during the video.
Birds and birding certainly have audience appeal and advertising revenue pulling power. The BirdTube phenomenon is growing at warp speed, with new channels coming on line and vloggers co-operating and exchanging technical and birding information to make content ever-more informative and entertaining.
Entertainment is fundamental to Matt Spracklen (aka the Rock ’n’ Roll Birder) whose snazzy hairstyle and neatly-groomed beard make him as easily identifiable in the field as the species he captures with a wildlife cameraman’s eye for the perfect shot.
A lifelong background in the music industry, having played in punk bands, toured Europe as well presenting a radio show, comes through strongly in the atmospheric music that accompanies productions.
Matt, who is based in Surrey, explains: “I’ve been a radio presenter for the best part of 10 years and I work in various areas of the music industry, mainly now hosting events and stages at festivals. “Truthfully, though, with YouTube, the podcast, my branded bird food and working within the ‘bird scene’, Rock ‘n Roll Birder is fast becoming full-time for me, which is so much fun.”
A childhood interest in birds has blossomed to see him one of the most recognisable and popular figures in birding.
“I’ve loved birds since I was at school, but I guess I can only say I’ve been seriously birding for about six years,” Matt continues. “Ever since my Rock ’n’ Roll Birder podcast took off and I was featured in various press articles and a piece for BBC Winterwatch, I knew I had more material to show which would be longer than I could post on Instagram or TikTok, so I started filming long-form episodes for YouTube.
“The aim of each film is to bring the excitement of birding and birdwatching to other birdwatchers and bird lovers. It’s also to bring people closer to the birds they see and hear as well as provide information and knowledge about the birds and their behaviours.”
Matt says he naturally storyboards ideas in his head when out and about but cannot predict or plan what an episode will look like as it relies on the birds playing ball.
“I love the creative flow of figuring out what I can do with the footage as, or after, I’ve filmed it. In fact that is the biggest buzz for me on the creative side and, of course, setting the footage to music.”
And what footage. His mouth-watering and eclectic back catalogue has films from big days in Norfolk, Isle of Mull and the Spurn Migration Festival to overseas assignments with Lammergeiers in the Pyrenees and Golden Eagles in Norway.
“I see my films as a gateway for people of all ages to not only get excited about birds but also ignite a passion for the conservation and protection of birds and their habitats.
“My ambitions for the channel is to grow and grow. I want it to be enjoyed by people, again of all ages, who love birding. And I want to appear live on the channel at some stage.”
With YouTube now the streaming service of choice for so many, how long will it take us to think BBC stands for the Brilliant Birding Channel?
● You don’t need a TV Licence to watch videos or clips on demand on YouTube. But you DO need a TV Licence if you watch TV live on YouTube.