The British birdwatching fair

Birding enthusiasts: Tony Thorne, Wally Prince and Claire Antell

The British Birdwatching Fair is held in August on the shores of Rutland Waters in the county of Rutland. The annual event is described as the Birdwatchers ‘Glaston-bury’ (world’s largest music festival) and attracts over 20,000 visitors over three days. It is a far cry from its humble beginnings in 1989 and the aim of the fair was to get birdwatchers together to celebrate birds, to develop a commercial fair for the birdwatching industry and to support international conservation projects.

 

The British Birdwatching Fair is jointly organised by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and encompasses the whole spectrum of the birdwatching industry whilst at the same time supporting global bird conservation. A wide range of fantastic conservation projects have been supported by Birdfair. There are over 300 exhibitors selling the latest products for wildlife enthusiasts, everything from