Birds have always been a source of inspiration and fascination to people around the globe and from all walks of life. In the United States, nature-based recreation-from backyard feeders to regional festivals-is the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry. In 1996, approximately 160 million Americans, or 77% of the population, spent $29.2 billion to observe, photograph, or feed wildlife-an increase of more than 39% since 1991. If wildlife watching were a corporation, it would have ranked 23rd on the Fortune 500 list that year.