Accessibility navigation


An economic analysis of twitching behaviour and species rarity

Brock, M., Fraser, I., Law, C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0686-1998, Mitchell, S. and Roberts, D. L. (2020) An economic analysis of twitching behaviour and species rarity. Journal of Environmental Economics and Policy, 10 (1). pp. 54-73. ISSN 2160-6544

[img]
Preview
Text - Accepted Version
· Please see our End User Agreement before downloading.

575kB

It is advisable to refer to the publisher's version if you intend to cite from this work. See Guidance on citing.

To link to this item DOI: 10.1080/21606544.2020.1782269

Abstract/Summary

Avid birdwatchers, or ‘twitchers’, expend a considerable amount of money and time pursuing viewing experiences of rare or vagrant species. By vagrant species, we mean a species found outside its normal range/distribution. To enhance our understanding of this form of behaviour, we present results from a U.K. survey of twitchers. First, we examine the relationship between cost and rarity based on actual viewing experiences. Our statistical results reveal that the relationship between cost and rarity is positive and very inelastic. Second, we present results from a hypothetical Best-Worst Scaling exercise examining aspects of species rarity. We find that rarity is a more nuanced construct than simply the frequency with which a vagrant species has appeared. Our results provide insights into the meaning of rarity, as well as the economic value attach to it and why.

Item Type:Article
Refereed:Yes
Divisions:Interdisciplinary Research Centres (IDRCs) > Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health (IFNH)
Life Sciences > School of Agriculture, Policy and Development > Department of Agri-Food Economics & Marketing
ID Code:103450
Publisher:Routledge

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

University Staff: Request a correction | Centaur Editors: Update this record

Page navigation