An economic analysis of twitching behaviour and species rarity

Brock, Mike, Fraser, Iain, Law, Cherry, Mitchell, Simon and Roberts, David L. (2021) An economic analysis of twitching behaviour and species rarity. Journal of Environmental Economics & Policy, 10 (1). pp. 54-73. ISSN 2160-6544

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Abstract

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
Uncontrolled Keywords:	twitching,rarity,travel cost valuation,best-worst scaling
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Economics
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Centres > Centre for Behavioural and Experimental Social Sciences Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Applied Econometrics And Finance Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Behavioural Economics Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Environment, Resources and Conflict Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Migration Research Network Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Centres > Centre for Competition Policy
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	30 Jun 2020 00:19
Last Modified:	08 Mar 2024 02:32
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/75821
DOI:	10.1080/21606544.2020.1782269

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