'Butterfly watching' (also called 'butterflying') is a
hobby concerned with the observation and study of
butterflies.
Lepidopterists would be a more formal or scientific description of persons engaged in this hobby. It is growing in popularity, and there are clubs, handbooks, checklists, and even festivals devoted to the activity, just as there are for
birding. The
Fourth of July and
Canada Day butterfly count, an annual census of species by butterfly watchers throughout
North America, is an example of
citizen science.
The
United Kingdom probably has more butterfly watchers per head of population than any other country since membership of the organisations involved is far higher. The millennium atlas survey in the UK has collected more records of butterflies than any other survey and the data have proved useful for the development of research.
External links
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North American Butterfly Association (NABA)
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The Lepidopterists' Society
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Carolina Butterfly Society
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Butterflies of North Carolina
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Massachusetts Butterfly Club (chapter of NABA)
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Butterfly Watching Basics
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The Mulberry Wing - Field notes of the New York City and North Jersey Butterfly Clubs.
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Butterfly Conservation - The main UK organisation.
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NABA South Texas, America's Butterfly Capital (chapter of NABA)
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Butterflying in South Texas, America's Butterfly Capital
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Butterflying in Mexico and Latin America