Welcome to the official site of David Lindo — The Urban Birder


From an initial rustic beginning, the vast majority of 21st Century mankind now live in cities. It's estimated that by 2050 at least 75% of humankind will be living in cities and there are already about 3,400 cities with populations of more than 100,000 in the world today.

On a global level, many of us never leave our city environments. When we holiday we often go to other cities. When we go away for business, it's invariably to another city. We have become communal creatures; in our minds there is a sharp demarcation between urban and countryside.


But within our sprawling cities there is birdlife to be found — sometimes in surprising abundance. If we open our eyes, look up and listen it will make itself known to us. Urbanisation is the necessary result of the population expansion that our species is experiencing at an unprecedented level. What we have to do is learn how to appreciate the nature on our doorsteps and then we will fully understand the importance of worldwide conservation.

When birding in a city try to see the world as how a bird would see it. Ignore people, see buildings as craggy lumps of rock and imagine that the bush you are looking at is filled with food and on a remote headland. That is Urban Birding.


David Lindo

David Lindo — The Urban Birder (R. F. Spencer)


The Urban Birder

David Lindo (N. Attura)

A few Urban Birding tips to get you started…


  • Look up
  • Ignore people — see buildings as cliffs and mountainsides
  • Have as your mantra:  “Anything can turn up anywhere at any time”
  • Enjoy yourself!

About David Lindo


I am David Lindo and I am The Urban Birder — writer, broadcaster, speaker and bird guider. Welcome to my site, dedicated to the observation and study of birds in the world's cities.  Read more about me…