In Britain, a Twitcher Chases Rare Birds
A twitch is a small involuntary movement. British birdwatchers call an obsessive rare-bird chaser a twitcher, from the nervous excitement of the pursuit.
A twitch is a small sudden involuntary movement. British birdwatching gave the word an unexpected career: a *twitcher* is not a casual birder but someone who travels long distances to see a rare bird, and the name is usually traced to the twitchy nervous state of the chase in the 1950s. To *twitch* a bird is to go and see one that has been reported.
- An involuntary movement. *A twitch in his eyelid.*
- To move suddenly. *The curtain twitched.*
- Twitcher (British) — an obsessive rare-bird watcher. *Twitchers filled the car park.*
- Twitchy — nervous. *He got twitchy about the deadline.*
- Muscle twitch — a small spontaneous contraction. *A harmless muscle twitch.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | twitch | His hand twitched. |
| Past | twitched | It twitched twice. |
| Noun | twitch | A nervous twitch. |
| Adjective | twitchy | Feeling twitchy. |
| Agent | twitcher | A dedicated twitcher. |
- His eye twitched when he was tired.Involuntary.
- Twitchers drove through the night to see it.Birdwatching.
- The market got twitchy before the announcement.Figurative nervousness.
Birdwatching vocabulary
- Birder — the general term for an enthusiast
- Twitcher — travels specifically to see reported rarities
- Lifer — a species seen for the first time
- Dip — to miss the bird you travelled for
- Vagrant — a bird far outside its normal range, the twitcher's target
Middle English *twicchen*, to pull sharply, from a Germanic root. The birdwatching sense is British and dates from the 1950s.
What is the difference between a birder and a twitcher?
A birder watches birds generally. A twitcher travels to see specific rare birds that others have reported.
Why do eyelids twitch?
Usually harmless muscle activity linked to tiredness, caffeine or stress. Persistent twitching is worth checking with a doctor.