Britain and the United States during the 1800s. Observing birds from afar was difficult because high-quality binoculars were not readily available. Thus it was often more practical to shoot the birds or collect their eggs. While the collection of the eggs of wild birds by amateurs was considered a respectable scientific pursuit in the 19th century and early 20th century, from the mid 20th century onwards it was increasingly regarded as being a hobby rather than a scientific discipline.

In the 1960s,