Jaime Chaves: Look to the Sky

For Jaime Chaves, birdwatching is more than a pastime. It’s a form of meditation.

It’s early morning in Golden Gate Park, where I stand beneath the trees with a small group of birdwatchers who, like me, have gathered after an email alert was sent out about a rare bird passing through San Francisco.

Each fall, billions of birds leave their northern breeding grounds and fly south to warmer places for the winter. Here on the West Coast, they follow the Pacific Flyway, a route stretching from Alaska to South America. On a single night in early October, it was estimated that about 9,000 birds crossed the city. Over the whole migration season, more than a billion birds may pass through our skies.

For many, these numbers translate into data. For me, it’s also about the stillness and the calmness of my mind, eyes scanning for any flicker of movement, ears tuned for faint sounds that reveal a bird’s position or identity. It’s a form of meditation, with every sense sharply tuned.

Birdwatching may look simple, but it’s a skill built on curiosity, practice, and focus. It takes precision, yet anyone can do it. Over time, you learn what to look for: the markings on the head, the color on the wings, the shape of the tail.

I got into birdwatching at an early age, drawn to the colors, songs, and behaviors that make birds so fascinating. They inspire a sense of wonder and a connection to the natural world that fuels my curiosity. As an ornithologist, I look forward to observe how birds behave and interact with their surroundings, while as a birder, I see it as a lifelong challenge of collecting sightings. Birding pushes me outdoors, connects me with others, and reminds me that even among 11,000 species worldwide, every sighting — common or rare — brings its own sense of awe and reward.

In a time when the idea of nature feels distant and remote, the truth is, it’s all around us — right here in our backyards and parks. With a Perspective, I’m Jaime Chaves.

Jaime Chaves is an Associate Professor of Biology at San Francisco State University and Research Associate and Fellow at the California Academy of Sciences.