At least in Old Blighty--No less than the hipsters in London are taking it up now.
Conde Nast Traveler just wrote about urban birding in London, which is a growing "thing" among the urban millennials there, thanks to some dedicated birding advocates like David Lindo (aka The Urban Birder), artist and author Matt Sewell (described as the Banksy of the bird world), and various English celebrities who've outed themselves as enthusiasts.
The article offers up tips for the tentative newbie such as what to wear, how to behave and where to go in the London region to see birds. It's pretty "lite" but it's a start! Can't say I've seen its equivalent in a proxy US publication.
If anyone has seen such a feature stateside (or anywhere, for that matter), let me know! Anytime birding gets serious cool cred (and not the typical nerdy wink of lay readers or dead serious application of die-hards), I'm convinced bird conservation will gain in relevance to a new audience.
Matt Sewell painting a mural at Castle Garden, Malton, Yorkshire. Image: TheBigBuzz.biz