And on the walks, DKU students often use a crucial tool known to bird watchers the world over to bring observers and birds closer together: Binoculars. Through them, subtle aspects of the bird world are revealed –  flying, foraging, and even color gradients on feathers that are often difficult to capture with the naked eye. Under their gaze, no detail can escape the observer’s sight, and every slight lifting and trembling of the bird’s wings is captured in detail.

But on this exploration journey, Professor Choi – commonly known on campus as “Professor Jimmy” – did not need this optical instrument’s assistance; 23 years of birdwatching experience has honed his gaze. His intuition enabled him to detect and accurately see the movements of birds among the dense leaves with solely his own eyesight.

“DKU is a good place to start birdwatching,” Professor Choi said. “That’s where our students and members live. If you wanna do it without all the logistical issues, it is the easiest thing to do on campus. And birds come to campus, don’t they? We don’t need to travel too far to do it.”

The Bird Walk grew out of a brainstorming session: Prof. Choi wanted the students to try to see the area from a natural perspective and rediscover the hidden beauty of the campus. 

“It could be not only a purely academic environmental observation program, but also helpful for the students to reduce stress,” Choi said. He thinks that observing birds works more like a combination of environmental protection and personal discovery. “It’s also good for mental health, because spending hours in front of the computer screens, we do have to have some breakaways, have some time off. “

Professor Choi is an assistant professor of Environmental Science at Duke Kunshan University, focusing on animal ecology, conservation biology, wetland ecology and environmental management. His fascination with birds began in childhood: A  documentary he watched showed an elegant albatross soaring through the blue sky. The moment help drive his curiosity about avian life and its interactions within ecosystems. After becoming familiar with birdwatching at the University of New South Wales, Australia, he ultimately committed to his love of birds, receiving advanced degrees in ecology in Shanghai and New Zealand. He has mainly studied the breeding grounds of migratory birds in Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong and Shanghai in China. His current research area focuses on migratory birds and the wetlands they depend on, as well as education and work related to ecology and conservation. In addition to taking students on the DKU Bird Walk, Prof. Choi does research at and occasionally brings students to Lianyungang, a coastal wetlands area of Jiangsu province, renowned for its migratory bird populations.