Despite his intellectual abilities, Tinbergen was a somewhat indifferent student. He excelled in courses that interested him but ignored those he found boring. Two other activities competed for his attention. Tinbergen was an avid athlete, competing internationally in field hockey. Throughout his career, he remained physically active, and he always enjoyed working outdoors. Like many animal behaviorists, he was also drawn to natural history at an early age. His family encouraged this extracurricular interest, and as a boy he spent much of his time on field trips collecting animals.