What the difference to you all?
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itâs called birding if youâre under 60 and birdwatching if youâre over 60.
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Haha 
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Do you understand a difference between them?
Personally I donât even know if I do either. I just like watching birds. I take photos if itâs one I donât have a photo of, or if thereâs a new behaviour or a strange location, but honestly I feel relieved after taking a photo, because now I can ârelaxâ, and just enjoy being in the presence of the bird. These days I donât even carry binoculars much.
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Hereâs my opinion between a Birder and a Birdwatcher.
The Birder is the one who actively searches for birds.
The Birdwatcher is the one who observes them here and there. Examples: The Birder goes out and searches for many different species and put more effort in identifying the birds. The Birdwatcher may watch a hummingbird on a feeder or go out on the porch and drink some coffee while watching the Northern Cardinal singing on a tree branch.
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lol!!
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I say birdwatchers are the ones more interested in bird feeding and cool bird behavior of even common birds, while birders are more hard-core listers who are always chasing the next big rarity. In short, I am both. 
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Why is this so true, Iâve never thought about it but youâre right!
I think thereâs so much fun in both: Iâll never grow tired of my chickadees, tufted titmice, nuthatches, and other common backyard birds, but cultivating a list of species and striving to find new species is so satisfying.
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Maybe âbirdwatchingâ is an activity, while âbirderâ is an identity, or a way of labelling yourself as a member of a tribe.
Just like, âI like nature, including snakesâ, vs âIâm a herperâ
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Itâs interesting to see each persons opinion
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Yes. No birder would have coffee in hand while doing birding.
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I use them interchangeably. I also say âIâm going to the mountains and hope to see snakesâ instead of âIâm herpingâ because God help me if I need to explain what I mean by âherpâ to Susan at book club, who will think Iâve contracted a disease.
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You got that right!
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I feel like birding has to do with counting. Even if you are not actively counting the birds, if you are counting the species for a list of some sort, that is birding. While birdwatching is watching the behavior, even if you have already counted the bird. So you can do both at once. Like someone who is solely birder might get a photo of the species, then leave because the counted the bird and are satisfied. While a birdwatcher wants to wait around and see what the bird does. In terms of if you identify yourself as a birder or birdwatcher, it is just which is your main goal with what you are doing, but it doesnât mean you arenât doing both.
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Like Yogi Berra said, âYou can observe a lot by watching.â
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I think itâs called âbirdingâ if youâve said âbirdwatchingâ too many times and are tired of the extra syllables.
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Birding has 7 letters and 2 syllables.
Birdwatching has 12 letters and 3 syllables.
None of the other distinctions that people have suggested have really stuck.
In my experience, âbirdingâ has taken over as the dominant term among people who talk about it a lot, probably because it is easier to say and shorter to type. This may be the origin of the idea that âbirdersâ are more competitive or numbers-oriented: people who are like that are more likely to be talking about it a lot!
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And yet the terminology doesnât cross over: âfishingâ and âfish watchingâ are clearly distinct activities.
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Too dangerous. Yesterday, I was so happy to see a Carolina Wren that I dropped my scope.
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Hope itâs okay.
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