Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
You can't see them here though I'm sure condors may occasionally get blown off course and seen in the South of the country.
I was referring to Bolivia / Peru and Argentina / Chile.
Top 20 favourite birds you’ve seen & top 15 birds you want to see.
- Thread starter Benosaurus
- Start date
You can't see them here though I'm sure condors may occasionally get blown off course and seen in the South of the country.
I was referring to Bolivia / Peru and Argentina / Chile.
Just list birds from what you consider your one home country/sovereign nation please
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
Just list birds from what you consider your one home country/sovereign nation please
Oh right...
I didn't see that caveat in the intro post and thought it was a general life list type question.
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
Top 15 to see in the wild:
Bare throated bell bird
SP marsh ant wren
Hyacinth macaw
Lear's macaw
Vinaceous Amazon Parrot
Red spectacled Amazon parrot
Cherry throated tanager
Ortalis remota
Brazilian merganser
Araripe manakin
Queen of Bavaria conure
Alagoas currasow
Red billed currasow
Helmeted woodpecker
Blue eyed ground dove
@Benosaurus the Andean condor has definitely been recorded as an occasional vagrant in Brazil and penguins of several species are fairly common vagrants.
Bare throated bell bird
SP marsh ant wren
Hyacinth macaw
Lear's macaw
Vinaceous Amazon Parrot
Red spectacled Amazon parrot
Cherry throated tanager
Ortalis remota
Brazilian merganser
Araripe manakin
Queen of Bavaria conure
Alagoas currasow
Red billed currasow
Helmeted woodpecker
Blue eyed ground dove
@Benosaurus the Andean condor has definitely been recorded as an occasional vagrant in Brazil and penguins of several species are fairly common vagrants.
Last edited:
No worries
. I'll repost the rules below for any other newcomers to the thread...List:
Your top 20 favourite birds you’ve seen in the wild in your home country/sovereign nation
and
Your top 15 birds you want to see in the wild in your home country/sovereign nation.
Rules:
- You must have seen them in the wild, not in captivity.
- You must have seen them with your own eyes (seeing them through a camera lens or binoculars is also accepted). Merely hearing them does not count.
- You must have seen them in what you consider your home country/sovereign nation.
- All birds listed must be residents of, or visitors to, your home country/sovereign nation.
- The American states of Alaska and Hawaii are to be treated as separate to the US for the purpose of this thread.
- Any overseas territories of any country/sovereign nation must be treated as separate.
- Associated states and autonomous regions of any country/sovereign nation must be treated as separate except if they border one another.
- The three Crown dependencies count as part of the UK for the purpose of this thread.
- You can list the birds, in either list, in no particular order or rank them if you wish.
- They can be rare or common, it doesn’t matter.
- They can be birds you see regularly or have only ever seen once.
- You can explain why you have chosen a particular bird in either list if you wish.
- Please stick to listing a maximum of your 20 favourite birds you’ve seen and a maximum of 15 you want to see. These are not intended to be lists of every bird you’ve ever seen and every single bird you want to see. You can list less than these numbers if you wish.
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
Twenty favourite birds seen:
Green headed tanager
Gilt edged tanager
Brassy breasted tanager
Magpie tanager
Swallow tanager
Brazilian tanager
Sacaya tanager
Royal flycatcher
Saffron toucanette
Toco toucan
Illiger's macaw
Red green winged macaw
Turquoise fronted Amazon Parrot
Vinaceous breasted Amazon parrot
Blond crested woodpecker
Yellow fronted woodpecker
Jabiru
Seriema
Jacutinga
Rhea
I'm admittedly not much of a birder but I found it very difficult to choose only twenty species quite honestly as there are so many that are beautiful here and that I'm fond of.
Green headed tanager
Gilt edged tanager
Brassy breasted tanager
Magpie tanager
Swallow tanager
Brazilian tanager
Sacaya tanager
Royal flycatcher
Saffron toucanette
Toco toucan
Illiger's macaw
Red green winged macaw
Turquoise fronted Amazon Parrot
Vinaceous breasted Amazon parrot
Blond crested woodpecker
Yellow fronted woodpecker
Jabiru
Seriema
Jacutinga
Rhea
I'm admittedly not much of a birder but I found it very difficult to choose only twenty species quite honestly as there are so many that are beautiful here and that I'm fond of.
Last edited:
@Onychorhynchus coronatus No mention of Stresemann's Bristlefront? That's probably the top bird I want to see, just because I know the time for anyone to see one will soon run out. Sadly, it's basically guaranteed I'll never get to see one.
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
Sadly I have to say I wasn't even aware of it's existence until you mentioned it.
Very curious name I'll have to see what it looks like and read a little bit about it.
There's only one individual left.
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
This is really heartbreaking and nauseating.
I just had a look at a picture of it and had a quick read.
But I'll be reading a lot more about it later.
Here's my lists (for the United States). The birds aren't in any particular order:
Favorites I've Seen
This list probably changes day-to-day.
1. Greater Prairie-Chicken Tympanuchus cupido
This charismatic symbol of the tallgrass prairie is now sadly limited to tiny fragments and remnants across its formerly wide range. The one time I saw them was on a lek at Buena Vista Grasslands, the largest prairie left east of the Mississippi River. After seeing that amazing display, there was no way it couldn't make it onto the list. I know I said these aren't in any order but this probably does deserve the number one spot.
2. Great Tit Parus major
I'm fascinated by introduced species, and this one intrigues me because of its small, localized population in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, only about an hour's drive away from where I live (it's the only population of the species in North America). The population has been going strong for nearly two decades now, yet even most birders in area don't know they exist. These birds truly are beautiful, too, especially in winter against the snow. I'm jealous of you Europeans who get to see one every day, this bird is tough for me to track down and usually requires special effort to see.
3. Whooping Crane Grus americana
Most birders go to Texas to see these, and often aren't aware that the second largest breeding population of this species is in Wisconsin. Here they are quite easy to see in the right places and often can be viewed at close range. The chicks are super cute, and birders who go to Texas don't get to see those!
4. Pine Grosbeak Pinicola enucleator
Beautiful bird with truly underrated beauty. This is a boreal species that occasionally irrupts into northern Wisconsin. I've never seen it in Wisconsin, but I did see them at Sax-Zim Bog in northern Minnesota. The landscape was covered in freshly-fallen snow and hoarfrost that day, meaning there was basically no color anywhere except for on conifer trees and these birds, which made quite the striking view! My favorite photo I've ever taken was of one of these birds, which I'll get around to uploading later.
5. Sanderling Calidris alba
This is the cutest bird (that's a fact). Watching them skitter over the beach on a wavy day is extremely entertaining, I could watch it all day.
6. Gray Hawk Buteo plagiatus
Early in my birding career (I was probably somewhere around 11), my dad took a business trip to Arizona and on some time off got me a hat from the gift shop at a local nature center. The hat had a Gray Hawk on it, which is an endangered species in the US, and within the US is found only in Arizona and Texas. This hat became a symbol to me of my desire to travel and see birds, and I still wear this now-battered hat practically everywhere I go. Seeing this hawk in the wild in Arizona earlier this year was an absolute thrill. I was, of course, wearing the hat at the time.
7. Phainopepla Phainopepla nitens
This wasn't a species I had any particular desire to see when I saw in Arizona for the first time back in spring. But after I saw one for the first time I fell in love with this species. Their "we-weedle-ah!" call is full of character and gives a beautiful sound to the otherwise very quiet Sonoran Desert. The fact that they are specialists on two entirely different habitats at different times of the year is very unique, as well.
8. Rivoli's Hummingbird Eugenes fulgens
An impressively large hummingbird I viewed from less than a foot away. How could it not make the list?
9. Parasitic Jaegar Stercorarius parasiticus
The shows this bird puts on are extremely fun to watch, as it dives at gull at weird angles in an attempt to get them to drop the food that're carrying. I've never been to the ocean so I've only seen this bird on Lake Superior, but I think that almost adds to the fun of seeing this bird, and my photos show Duluth in the background!
10. Common Loon Gavia immer
I imagine most of you reading this will have only encountered this species in their wintering grounds or in migration. You have no idea how much you're missing. Of all the bird species I've seen, this one just feels the most wild. It lives on far northern lakes, surrounded by trees, and their haunting call gives off a unique sense of wonder and eeriness. While I see the argument for calling this bird either "Common Loon" or "Great Northern Diver", I think only the name "Great Northern Loon" can truly represent what seeing and hearing this bird on its breeding grounds is truly like.
11. Great Gray Owl Strix nebulosa
I saw this giant owl comically sitting on the point of a Black Spruce just before it was too dark to see. Need I say more?
12. Rosy-faced Lovebird Agapornis roseicollis
I just have to include another introduced bird. They're just so interesting! I've never kept lovebirds, but I loved seeing them at zoos at pet stores when I saw a little kid. They were probably my favorite bird for a while. Never did I think I would see them in the wild. Yet there they are, in the middle of Phoenix!
13. Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus
I see these every day but this list would feel incomplete without them. These birds are almost as cute as Sanderlings and have just as much personality. They never sit still and are always bouncing through the trees and shrubs and making fun noises. "Chicka-dee-dee-dee"!
14. Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus obscurus
I doubt there is a birder alive who has seen this bird and wouldn't put it on this list. It's the reddest bird there is, and you can tell a cardinal I said that. It's so striking against the greens and browns of their riparian habitat!
15. Gray Jay Perisoreus canadensis
Yeah, that's the name.
16. Gambel's Quail
This was among the birds I was most excited for in Arizona and it did not disappoint. They're super cute and their calls are so fun and they travel in big flocks on the desert floor and they're so fun to watch and - let's just say there's a lot of reasons to love these little guys.
17. Winter Wren Troglodytes hiemalis
I would love to give this spot to all the wrens I've seen (it's one of my favorite bird families) but this one gets the top spot for its ridiculously long song in relation to size. How can it do that?
18. Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis
Here in Wisconsin we get the Slate-colored Junco and only in winter. The bird is extremely abundant then, though, and the first junco of the season in late September always makes me so happy! In Arizona I saw several other subspecies (Gray-headed, Oregon, and Pink-sided) and they were cool too. I almost gave this spot to Yellow-eyed Junco, which is just as cool as the Dark-eyed.
19. Northern Jacana Jacana spinosa
Only a rare vagrant to the US, I saw the long-staying individual in Tucson that was there for nearly a year. It happened to be my 300th life bird and I can't think of a better #300.
20. Warblers (sorry I couldn't pick one) Parulidae sp.
Every May, Wisconsin forests are filled with these little Neotropical migrants. They fill the forest with color and song for a few weeks as the leaves come in. I thought long and hard about which one to pick, but I just couldn't decide. But my favorites are Blackburnian, Cape May, Black-throated Blue, Magnolia, and Chestnut-sided.
Top I want to see
Obviously many, many more, as I'm not well-traveled (I've only been in the Midwest and Arizona).
1. California Condor Gymnogyps californianus (so mad I missed this one at the Grand Canyon!)
2. Elegant Trogon Trogon elegans
3. Roseate Spoonbill Platalea ajaja
4. Snail Kite Rostrhamus sociabilis
5. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus
6. Iiwi Drepanis coccinea
7. Boreal Chickadee Poecile hudsonicus
8. Piping Plover Charadrius melodus
9. Black Skimmer Rynchops niger
10. Pin-tailed Whydah Vidua macroura
11. Canyon Wren Catherpes mexicanus
12. Kirtland's Warbler Setophaga kirtlandii
13. Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus
14. Blue-and-yellow Macaw Ara ararauna
15. Green Jay Cyanocorax luxuosus
And many, many more...
Favorites I've Seen
This list probably changes day-to-day.
1. Greater Prairie-Chicken Tympanuchus cupido
This charismatic symbol of the tallgrass prairie is now sadly limited to tiny fragments and remnants across its formerly wide range. The one time I saw them was on a lek at Buena Vista Grasslands, the largest prairie left east of the Mississippi River. After seeing that amazing display, there was no way it couldn't make it onto the list. I know I said these aren't in any order but this probably does deserve the number one spot.
2. Great Tit Parus major
I'm fascinated by introduced species, and this one intrigues me because of its small, localized population in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, only about an hour's drive away from where I live (it's the only population of the species in North America). The population has been going strong for nearly two decades now, yet even most birders in area don't know they exist. These birds truly are beautiful, too, especially in winter against the snow. I'm jealous of you Europeans who get to see one every day, this bird is tough for me to track down and usually requires special effort to see.
3. Whooping Crane Grus americana
Most birders go to Texas to see these, and often aren't aware that the second largest breeding population of this species is in Wisconsin. Here they are quite easy to see in the right places and often can be viewed at close range. The chicks are super cute, and birders who go to Texas don't get to see those!
4. Pine Grosbeak Pinicola enucleator
Beautiful bird with truly underrated beauty. This is a boreal species that occasionally irrupts into northern Wisconsin. I've never seen it in Wisconsin, but I did see them at Sax-Zim Bog in northern Minnesota. The landscape was covered in freshly-fallen snow and hoarfrost that day, meaning there was basically no color anywhere except for on conifer trees and these birds, which made quite the striking view! My favorite photo I've ever taken was of one of these birds, which I'll get around to uploading later.
5. Sanderling Calidris alba
This is the cutest bird (that's a fact). Watching them skitter over the beach on a wavy day is extremely entertaining, I could watch it all day.
6. Gray Hawk Buteo plagiatus
Early in my birding career (I was probably somewhere around 11), my dad took a business trip to Arizona and on some time off got me a hat from the gift shop at a local nature center. The hat had a Gray Hawk on it, which is an endangered species in the US, and within the US is found only in Arizona and Texas. This hat became a symbol to me of my desire to travel and see birds, and I still wear this now-battered hat practically everywhere I go. Seeing this hawk in the wild in Arizona earlier this year was an absolute thrill. I was, of course, wearing the hat at the time.
7. Phainopepla Phainopepla nitens
This wasn't a species I had any particular desire to see when I saw in Arizona for the first time back in spring. But after I saw one for the first time I fell in love with this species. Their "we-weedle-ah!" call is full of character and gives a beautiful sound to the otherwise very quiet Sonoran Desert. The fact that they are specialists on two entirely different habitats at different times of the year is very unique, as well.
8. Rivoli's Hummingbird Eugenes fulgens
An impressively large hummingbird I viewed from less than a foot away. How could it not make the list?
9. Parasitic Jaegar Stercorarius parasiticus
The shows this bird puts on are extremely fun to watch, as it dives at gull at weird angles in an attempt to get them to drop the food that're carrying. I've never been to the ocean so I've only seen this bird on Lake Superior, but I think that almost adds to the fun of seeing this bird, and my photos show Duluth in the background!
10. Common Loon Gavia immer
I imagine most of you reading this will have only encountered this species in their wintering grounds or in migration. You have no idea how much you're missing. Of all the bird species I've seen, this one just feels the most wild. It lives on far northern lakes, surrounded by trees, and their haunting call gives off a unique sense of wonder and eeriness. While I see the argument for calling this bird either "Common Loon" or "Great Northern Diver", I think only the name "Great Northern Loon" can truly represent what seeing and hearing this bird on its breeding grounds is truly like.
11. Great Gray Owl Strix nebulosa
I saw this giant owl comically sitting on the point of a Black Spruce just before it was too dark to see. Need I say more?
12. Rosy-faced Lovebird Agapornis roseicollis
I just have to include another introduced bird. They're just so interesting! I've never kept lovebirds, but I loved seeing them at zoos at pet stores when I saw a little kid. They were probably my favorite bird for a while. Never did I think I would see them in the wild. Yet there they are, in the middle of Phoenix!
13. Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus
I see these every day but this list would feel incomplete without them. These birds are almost as cute as Sanderlings and have just as much personality. They never sit still and are always bouncing through the trees and shrubs and making fun noises. "Chicka-dee-dee-dee"!
14. Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus obscurus
I doubt there is a birder alive who has seen this bird and wouldn't put it on this list. It's the reddest bird there is, and you can tell a cardinal I said that. It's so striking against the greens and browns of their riparian habitat!
15. Gray Jay Perisoreus canadensis
Yeah, that's the name.
16. Gambel's Quail
This was among the birds I was most excited for in Arizona and it did not disappoint. They're super cute and their calls are so fun and they travel in big flocks on the desert floor and they're so fun to watch and - let's just say there's a lot of reasons to love these little guys.
17. Winter Wren Troglodytes hiemalis
I would love to give this spot to all the wrens I've seen (it's one of my favorite bird families) but this one gets the top spot for its ridiculously long song in relation to size. How can it do that?
18. Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis
Here in Wisconsin we get the Slate-colored Junco and only in winter. The bird is extremely abundant then, though, and the first junco of the season in late September always makes me so happy! In Arizona I saw several other subspecies (Gray-headed, Oregon, and Pink-sided) and they were cool too. I almost gave this spot to Yellow-eyed Junco, which is just as cool as the Dark-eyed.
19. Northern Jacana Jacana spinosa
Only a rare vagrant to the US, I saw the long-staying individual in Tucson that was there for nearly a year. It happened to be my 300th life bird and I can't think of a better #300.
20. Warblers (sorry I couldn't pick one) Parulidae sp.
Every May, Wisconsin forests are filled with these little Neotropical migrants. They fill the forest with color and song for a few weeks as the leaves come in. I thought long and hard about which one to pick, but I just couldn't decide. But my favorites are Blackburnian, Cape May, Black-throated Blue, Magnolia, and Chestnut-sided.
Top I want to see
Obviously many, many more, as I'm not well-traveled (I've only been in the Midwest and Arizona).
1. California Condor Gymnogyps californianus (so mad I missed this one at the Grand Canyon!)
2. Elegant Trogon Trogon elegans
3. Roseate Spoonbill Platalea ajaja
4. Snail Kite Rostrhamus sociabilis
5. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus
6. Iiwi Drepanis coccinea
7. Boreal Chickadee Poecile hudsonicus
8. Piping Plover Charadrius melodus
9. Black Skimmer Rynchops niger
10. Pin-tailed Whydah Vidua macroura
11. Canyon Wren Catherpes mexicanus
12. Kirtland's Warbler Setophaga kirtlandii
13. Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus
14. Blue-and-yellow Macaw Ara ararauna
15. Green Jay Cyanocorax luxuosus
And many, many more...
Platypusboy
Well-Known Member
Top 20 I have seen in no particular order:
(btw my home country is Finland)
1. Siberian jay
2. Goldcrest
3. Bohemian waxwing
4. Common blue tit
5. Common eider
6. Tree sparrow
7. Eurasian wigeon
8. Ring necked pheasant
9. Great crested grebe
10. Eurasian coot
11. Reed bunting
12. European goldfinch
13. Common raven
14. Great cormorant
15, Barn swallow
16. European goldfinch
17. Common crane
18. Eurasian bullfinch
19. Common woodpigeon
20. Great spotted woodpecker
Top 15 I want to see in no particular order:
1. King eider
2. Western capercaillie
3. Eurasian nightjar
4. Pied avocet
5. Razorbill
6. Red throated loon
7. Great gray owl
8. Ural owl
9. Common kingfisher
10. Crested tit
11. Eurasian nuthatch
12. Citrine wagtail
13. Long tailed tit
14. Eurasian nutcracker
15. Black woodpecker
(btw my home country is Finland)
1. Siberian jay
2. Goldcrest
3. Bohemian waxwing
4. Common blue tit
5. Common eider
6. Tree sparrow
7. Eurasian wigeon
8. Ring necked pheasant
9. Great crested grebe
10. Eurasian coot
11. Reed bunting
12. European goldfinch
13. Common raven
14. Great cormorant
15, Barn swallow
16. European goldfinch
17. Common crane
18. Eurasian bullfinch
19. Common woodpigeon
20. Great spotted woodpecker
Top 15 I want to see in no particular order:
1. King eider
2. Western capercaillie
3. Eurasian nightjar
4. Pied avocet
5. Razorbill
6. Red throated loon
7. Great gray owl
8. Ural owl
9. Common kingfisher
10. Crested tit
11. Eurasian nuthatch
12. Citrine wagtail
13. Long tailed tit
14. Eurasian nutcracker
15. Black woodpecker
I'm already making regrets about birds I should have included - further proving what I said about how this list would change from day to day!Here's my lists (for the United States). The birds aren't in any particular order:
Favorites I've Seen
This list probably changes day-to-day.
1. Greater Prairie-Chicken Tympanuchus cupido
This charismatic symbol of the tallgrass prairie is now sadly limited to tiny fragments and remnants across its formerly wide range. The one time I saw them was on a lek at Buena Vista Grasslands, the largest prairie left east of the Mississippi River. After seeing that amazing display, there was no way it couldn't make it onto the list. I know I said these aren't in any order but this probably does deserve the number one spot.
2. Great Tit Parus major
I'm fascinated by introduced species, and this one intrigues me because of its small, localized population in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, only about an hour's drive away from where I live (it's the only population of the species in North America). The population has been going strong for nearly two decades now, yet even most birders in area don't know they exist. These birds truly are beautiful, too, especially in winter against the snow. I'm jealous of you Europeans who get to see one every day, this bird is tough for me to track down and usually requires special effort to see.
3. Whooping Crane Grus americana
Most birders go to Texas to see these, and often aren't aware that the second largest breeding population of this species is in Wisconsin. Here they are quite easy to see in the right places and often can be viewed at close range. The chicks are super cute, and birders who go to Texas don't get to see those!
4. Pine Grosbeak Pinicola enucleator
Beautiful bird with truly underrated beauty. This is a boreal species that occasionally irrupts into northern Wisconsin. I've never seen it in Wisconsin, but I did see them at Sax-Zim Bog in northern Minnesota. The landscape was covered in freshly-fallen snow and hoarfrost that day, meaning there was basically no color anywhere except for on conifer trees and these birds, which made quite the striking view! My favorite photo I've ever taken was of one of these birds, which I'll get around to uploading later.
5. Sanderling Calidris alba
This is the cutest bird (that's a fact). Watching them skitter over the beach on a wavy day is extremely entertaining, I could watch it all day.
6. Gray Hawk Buteo plagiatus
Early in my birding career (I was probably somewhere around 11), my dad took a business trip to Arizona and on some time off got me a hat from the gift shop at a local nature center. The hat had a Gray Hawk on it, which is an endangered species in the US, and within the US is found only in Arizona and Texas. This hat became a symbol to me of my desire to travel and see birds, and I still wear this now-battered hat practically everywhere I go. Seeing this hawk in the wild in Arizona earlier this year was an absolute thrill. I was, of course, wearing the hat at the time.
7. Phainopepla Phainopepla nitens
This wasn't a species I had any particular desire to see when I saw in Arizona for the first time back in spring. But after I saw one for the first time I fell in love with this species. Their "we-weedle-ah!" call is full of character and gives a beautiful sound to the otherwise very quiet Sonoran Desert. The fact that they are specialists on two entirely different habitats at different times of the year is very unique, as well.
8. Rivoli's Hummingbird Eugenes fulgens
An impressively large hummingbird I viewed from less than a foot away. How could it not make the list?
9. Parasitic Jaegar Stercorarius parasiticus
The shows this bird puts on are extremely fun to watch, as it dives at gull at weird angles in an attempt to get them to drop the food that're carrying. I've never been to the ocean so I've only seen this bird on Lake Superior, but I think that almost adds to the fun of seeing this bird, and my photos show Duluth in the background!
10. Common Loon Gavia immer
I imagine most of you reading this will have only encountered this species in their wintering grounds or in migration. You have no idea how much you're missing. Of all the bird species I've seen, this one just feels the most wild. It lives on far northern lakes, surrounded by trees, and their haunting call gives off a unique sense of wonder and eeriness. While I see the argument for calling this bird either "Common Loon" or "Great Northern Diver", I think only the name "Great Northern Loon" can truly represent what seeing and hearing this bird on its breeding grounds is truly like.
11. Great Gray Owl Strix nebulosa
I saw this giant owl comically sitting on the point of a Black Spruce just before it was too dark to see. Need I say more?
12. Rosy-faced Lovebird Agapornis roseicollis
I just have to include another introduced bird. They're just so interesting! I've never kept lovebirds, but I loved seeing them at zoos at pet stores when I saw a little kid. They were probably my favorite bird for a while. Never did I think I would see them in the wild. Yet there they are, in the middle of Phoenix!
13. Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus
I see these every day but this list would feel incomplete without them. These birds are almost as cute as Sanderlings and have just as much personality. They never sit still and are always bouncing through the trees and shrubs and making fun noises. "Chicka-dee-dee-dee"!
14. Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus obscurus
I doubt there is a birder alive who has seen this bird and wouldn't put it on this list. It's the reddest bird there is, and you can tell a cardinal I said that. It's so striking against the greens and browns of their riparian habitat!
15. Gray Jay Perisoreus canadensis
Yeah, that's the name.
16. Gambel's Quail
This was among the birds I was most excited for in Arizona and it did not disappoint. They're super cute and their calls are so fun and they travel in big flocks on the desert floor and they're so fun to watch and - let's just say there's a lot of reasons to love these little guys.
17. Winter Wren Troglodytes hiemalis
I would love to give this spot to all the wrens I've seen (it's one of my favorite bird families) but this one gets the top spot for its ridiculously long song in relation to size. How can it do that?
18. Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis
Here in Wisconsin we get the Slate-colored Junco and only in winter. The bird is extremely abundant then, though, and the first junco of the season in late September always makes me so happy! In Arizona I saw several other subspecies (Gray-headed, Oregon, and Pink-sided) and they were cool too. I almost gave this spot to Yellow-eyed Junco, which is just as cool as the Dark-eyed.
19. Northern Jacana Jacana spinosa
Only a rare vagrant to the US, I saw the long-staying individual in Tucson that was there for nearly a year. It happened to be my 300th life bird and I can't think of a better #300.
20. Warblers (sorry I couldn't pick one) Parulidae sp.
Every May, Wisconsin forests are filled with these little Neotropical migrants. They fill the forest with color and song for a few weeks as the leaves come in. I thought long and hard about which one to pick, but I just couldn't decide. But my favorites are Blackburnian, Cape May, Black-throated Blue, Magnolia, and Chestnut-sided.
Top I want to see
Obviously many, many more, as I'm not well-traveled (I've only been in the Midwest and Arizona).
1. California Condor Gymnogyps californianus (so mad I missed this one at the Grand Canyon!)
2. Elegant Trogon Trogon elegans
3. Roseate Spoonbill Platalea ajaja
4. Snail Kite Rostrhamus sociabilis
5. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus
6. Iiwi Drepanis coccinea
7. Boreal Chickadee Poecile hudsonicus
8. Piping Plover Charadrius melodus
9. Black Skimmer Rynchops niger
10. Pin-tailed Whydah Vidua macroura
11. Canyon Wren Catherpes mexicanus
12. Kirtland's Warbler Setophaga kirtlandii
13. Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus
14. Blue-and-yellow Macaw Ara ararauna
15. Green Jay Cyanocorax luxuosus
And many, many more...
I had a birding trip planned that got cancelled because of lockdowns. I did manage to make it to White-browed Treecreeper habitat but dipped out. So no ticks off this list for me yet
Time to revisit my list.
1) Regent Bowerbird, Sericulus chrysocephalus – it’s hard to forget that gold plumage flash across the dense rainforest. An unforgettable bird.
2) Black-necked Stork, Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus – some species never lose their ‘wow factor’ for me. Black-necked Storks are one of them. I’ve them now a couple of times all within Brisbane surprisingly. They are just stunning creatures. Very lucky to have them still persisting so close to the city.
3) Crested Shrike-tit, Falcunculus frontatus - an enduring favourite of mine that I have still only ever seen once.
4) Painted Button-quail, Turnix varius - apparently south-east Queensland is experiencing an unexpected increase of sightings this season for button-quail so Brisbane birdwatchers have been eagerly exchanging locations to find this often-elusive species. I saw my first ones a few weeks ago near a small patch of bushland opposite a park. They are just delightful birds.
5) Australian Logrunner, Orthonyx temminckii – another favourite of mine; a classic rainforest bird that has a relatively limited range compared to the other species. Haven’t got a respectable image of them unfortunately.
6) Rainbow Bee-eater, Merops ornatus – They have grown on me. They aren’t particularly uncommon but they are beautiful birds and pretty easy to spot which certainly helps.
7) Australian Hobby, Falco longipennis – a great little falcon species. I do like the buffy colouration and was surprised to see how small they are.
8) Cicadabird, Edolisoma tenuirostre - another recent lifer. They seem to be harder to find than I was expecting but I am happy to finally tick them off.
9) Forest Kingfisher, Todiramphus macleayii – it was a battle between Azure and Forest Kingfishers but the latter just nudged ahead.
10) Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Ptilinopus magnificus – big, beautiful birds. A quintessential rainforest pigeon.
11) Comb-crested Jacana, Irediparra gallinacea - always fascinating birds to watch on the water.
12) Spotted Pardalote, Pardalotus punctatus - intricately-patterned birds.
13) Double-barred Finch, Taeniopygia bichenovii - very striking finches.
14) Varied Sittella, Daphoenositta chrysoptera – tiny nuthatch-like birds that can congregate in large numbers. There are a multitude of subspecies that occur but in south-east Queensland it’s the white-headed ones.
15) Green Catbird, Ailuroedus crassirostris - one of the greatest calls ever and a beautiful bird in its own right.
16) Barred Cuckoo-shrike, Coracina lineata - I've only ever seen one bird feeding with a large group of figbirds. Love the striping on this cuckoo-shrike and bright eye.
17) Red-backed Fairywren, Malurus melanocephalus – I love all fairywrens but these are particularly bold in colouration - males are jet black with a pop of red.
18) Eastern Osprey, Malurus melanocephalus - cool birds to watch fishing. There are several established, well-known pairs around Brisbane's shorelines. The individual picture below has recently been popping up at the Kedron Brook.
19) White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Haliaeetus leucogaster – magnificent, attention-grabbing birds especially when up close.
20) Whistling Kite, Haliastur sphenurus – an old faithful. Brahminys are fantastic kites as well that I probably see more frequently than any other raptor. I have even seen a Brahminy Kite along Brisbane’s CBD near the river opposite the museum but Whistlings still trump them.
I will still limit my updated wish list to birds recorded in south-east Queensland as my list would simply be too difficult to make. I definitely want to see a boatbill though if I had the chance. Beach Stone-Curlews are relatively uncommon but I’m told Bribie Island is a good spot for them. I saw @akasha's wish list had Cotton Pygmy-Goose and I wholeheartedly agree.
1) Paradise Riflebird Ptiloris paradiseus
2) Rose-crowned Fruit Dove Ptilinopus regina
3) Brolga Antigone rubicunda
4) Beach Stone-curlew Esacus magnirostris
5) Topknot Pigeon Lopholaimus antarcticus
6) Noisy Pitta, Pitta versicolor
7) Square-tailed Kite Lophoictinia isura
8) Australian Owlet-nightjar Aegotheles cristatus
9) Cotton Pygmy-Goose Nettapus coromandelianus
10) Red-necked Avocet Recurvirostra novaehollandiae
11) Little Eagle Hieraaetus morphnoides
12) Speckled Warbler Chthonicola sagittata
13) Shining Flycatcher Myiagra alecto [recently recorded at Oxley Common]
14) Glossy Black Cockatoo, Calyptorhynchus lathami
15) Wonga Pigeon, Leucosarcia melanoleuca
1) Regent Bowerbird, Sericulus chrysocephalus – it’s hard to forget that gold plumage flash across the dense rainforest. An unforgettable bird.
2) Black-necked Stork, Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus – some species never lose their ‘wow factor’ for me. Black-necked Storks are one of them. I’ve them now a couple of times all within Brisbane surprisingly. They are just stunning creatures. Very lucky to have them still persisting so close to the city.
3) Crested Shrike-tit, Falcunculus frontatus - an enduring favourite of mine that I have still only ever seen once.
4) Painted Button-quail, Turnix varius - apparently south-east Queensland is experiencing an unexpected increase of sightings this season for button-quail so Brisbane birdwatchers have been eagerly exchanging locations to find this often-elusive species. I saw my first ones a few weeks ago near a small patch of bushland opposite a park. They are just delightful birds.
5) Australian Logrunner, Orthonyx temminckii – another favourite of mine; a classic rainforest bird that has a relatively limited range compared to the other species. Haven’t got a respectable image of them unfortunately.
6) Rainbow Bee-eater, Merops ornatus – They have grown on me. They aren’t particularly uncommon but they are beautiful birds and pretty easy to spot which certainly helps.
7) Australian Hobby, Falco longipennis – a great little falcon species. I do like the buffy colouration and was surprised to see how small they are.
8) Cicadabird, Edolisoma tenuirostre - another recent lifer. They seem to be harder to find than I was expecting but I am happy to finally tick them off.
9) Forest Kingfisher, Todiramphus macleayii – it was a battle between Azure and Forest Kingfishers but the latter just nudged ahead.
10) Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Ptilinopus magnificus – big, beautiful birds. A quintessential rainforest pigeon.
11) Comb-crested Jacana, Irediparra gallinacea - always fascinating birds to watch on the water.
12) Spotted Pardalote, Pardalotus punctatus - intricately-patterned birds.
13) Double-barred Finch, Taeniopygia bichenovii - very striking finches.
14) Varied Sittella, Daphoenositta chrysoptera – tiny nuthatch-like birds that can congregate in large numbers. There are a multitude of subspecies that occur but in south-east Queensland it’s the white-headed ones.
15) Green Catbird, Ailuroedus crassirostris - one of the greatest calls ever and a beautiful bird in its own right.
16) Barred Cuckoo-shrike, Coracina lineata - I've only ever seen one bird feeding with a large group of figbirds. Love the striping on this cuckoo-shrike and bright eye.
17) Red-backed Fairywren, Malurus melanocephalus – I love all fairywrens but these are particularly bold in colouration - males are jet black with a pop of red.
18) Eastern Osprey, Malurus melanocephalus - cool birds to watch fishing. There are several established, well-known pairs around Brisbane's shorelines. The individual picture below has recently been popping up at the Kedron Brook.
19) White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Haliaeetus leucogaster – magnificent, attention-grabbing birds especially when up close.
20) Whistling Kite, Haliastur sphenurus – an old faithful. Brahminys are fantastic kites as well that I probably see more frequently than any other raptor. I have even seen a Brahminy Kite along Brisbane’s CBD near the river opposite the museum but Whistlings still trump them.
I will still limit my updated wish list to birds recorded in south-east Queensland as my list would simply be too difficult to make. I definitely want to see a boatbill though if I had the chance. Beach Stone-Curlews are relatively uncommon but I’m told Bribie Island is a good spot for them. I saw @akasha's wish list had Cotton Pygmy-Goose and I wholeheartedly agree.
1) Paradise Riflebird Ptiloris paradiseus
2) Rose-crowned Fruit Dove Ptilinopus regina
3) Brolga Antigone rubicunda
4) Beach Stone-curlew Esacus magnirostris
5) Topknot Pigeon Lopholaimus antarcticus
6) Noisy Pitta, Pitta versicolor
7) Square-tailed Kite Lophoictinia isura
8) Australian Owlet-nightjar Aegotheles cristatus
9) Cotton Pygmy-Goose Nettapus coromandelianus
10) Red-necked Avocet Recurvirostra novaehollandiae
11) Little Eagle Hieraaetus morphnoides
12) Speckled Warbler Chthonicola sagittata
13) Shining Flycatcher Myiagra alecto [recently recorded at Oxley Common]
14) Glossy Black Cockatoo, Calyptorhynchus lathami
15) Wonga Pigeon, Leucosarcia melanoleuca
I've looked for Cotton Pygmy-Goose a couple of times, but no luck. I got my only Beach Stone-Curlew at the mouth of Currumbin Creek, so it might be worth checking there every now and then
Dannelboyz
Well-Known Member
Have been able to tick three of these species off my Victorian list! Inland Dotterel, Painted Buttonquail (now with several views!) and Redthroat. Grey Falcon and Black Bittern have also been ticked off in Western Australia so I suppose only five remain on this list.Hmmm this seems fun
I've seen close to 370 bird species in my home state of Victoria, Australia. While I am a twitcher and do love vagrants/rarities, my top 10 favourite birds aren't all rare. Some of them are just species I've had the best experiences with or find the most beautiful.
Satin Bowerbird
Ignoring rarity, bowerbirds are absolutely my favourite birds. They're incredibly charismatic and vocal and quite beautiful as well with their striking purple eyes. Probably best known for their bower-building and decorating behaviours, one of the things that interests me most about bowerbirds is their mimicry. When displaying, they dance around and mimic with quite an impressive vocabulary. Unlike the better-known lyrebird which belts out the calls of every other species in the bush, bowerbirds are much more subtle. They tend to mimic birds at the same volume as they hear them... So, when you listen to a bowerbird from close range, you can hear them whispering a kookaburra laugh or you could hear them performing a perfect mimic of three or four cockatoos calling at once while flying overhead.
Apostlebird
Another bird I love for its hilarious behaviours, Apostlebirds are one that initially doesn't seem like much from photos, being grey birds with no interesting patterns or colours. However, I have rarely been more entertained by birds than when watching families of apostlebirds roam around the campgrounds of Hattah-Kulkyne National Park. These birds are so insanely playful and curious - you can tell that they believe they own the campgrounds. When you're camping, you really have to make sure they don't get into your tent when you're not watching.
Striated Grasswren
Once you've had good views of a grasswren, you'd be crazy not to include it on a list of favourite birds! This genus is one of the most highly sought-after groups of birds in Australia because of the fact that every species has a fairly restricted range in a remote part of the country and the fact that even within their range they are incredibly hard to detect because of their skulky behaviour. The typical view of a grasswren is of a rodent-like bird running away in the distance with its tail sticking out behind it, but I've been lucky enough to have excellent views of a striated grasswren at my feet just metres away. When you get views like that, you can really appreciate their striking plumage and quirky movements!
Mallee Emuwren
I've seen mallee emuwrens a few times now but you just can't go past these tiny birds with their extravagantly long tails, which resemble the feathers of an emu. An Endangered species which is now Victoria's only endemic bird species (they were historically found in South Australia), these guys are also one of the smallest birds in Australia at just 4 grams. Walking around big patches of Triodia spinifex in the mallee, it's always quite exciting to hear their soft contact calls or get a glimpse of one of them flying between the spinifex clumps. I've also found that they're quite accommodating and will often sit up for you once you find them, which makes it fairly easy to admire their beauty.
Eastern Ground Parrot
Prior to seeing this species a few months ago, they were right at the top of my most-wanted list. Following the bushfires this year, most of their habitat in Victoria has disappeared and I thought I might have missed my chance of ever seeing them here. There had been a small number of post-fire records, but birds at most of these spots seemed to have disappeared once grasses stopped seeding. I got the opportunity to do some work in Howe Flat and during this time, we flushed three ground parrots from some unburnt heath! You rarely get good views of this species and even my views were just the back of the bird... But because they are a fairly large (maybe slightly smaller than a rosella), bright green parrot and flush with such an explosiveness, seeing these birds was one of the biggest thrills I've ever had while birding!
Plains-wanderer
One of the weirdest birds in Australia, this species is Critically Endangered and very hard to find. In Victoria, the entire population lives in Terrick-Terrick National Park - a strange park made up of a number of fenced paddocks which are managed by frequent sheep grazing to keep at a length that is suitable for the birds. Even though plains-wanderers are diurnal, to find them you have to spotlight the paddocks at night. Walking around open paddocks for several hours on a cold night is one of the strangest and most testing experiences, but the reward is absolutely worth it! I've put in ~20 hrs of effort searching for this species and have seen them once - a male bird with a couple of tiny chicks!
Pied Honeyeater
You can't have an Australian bird list without a honeyeater. Honestly, it was a little hard to choose a species given there are so many beautiful and interesting honeyeaters that I've seen. In the end, I went with pied because this species is one of the rarest honeyeaters in all of Australia. During a massive influx of dry-country species in Victoria during spring last year, I saw pied honeyeaters at several locations. In one spot where a private property was growing huge numbers of flowering eremophilas, one birder found 50 pied honeyeaters together, which was likely one of the largest counts of this species in the state ever. Being surrounded by a species that is essentially a vagrant to the state (it is recorded maybe once a year on average) was such an incredible birding experience.
Splendid Fairywren
Not a rare bird in the Victorian mallee by any means, but every time I see a male splendid fairywren in breeding plumage I am blown away by how breathtakingly blue they are. Having seen a fair few bright blue birds both in captivity and the wild, I can honestly say nothing compares to a splendid! These little guys look like they glow, especially when standing on the orange sand in their arid habitat. That, combined with the fact that fairywrens are always fun to watch, makes them one of my absolute favourites!
Southern Fulmar
A striking white seabird, the Southern Fulmar makes my list for the experience of twitching them and their rarity. Normally found around Antarctic waters, large numbers of these birds were showing up on the southern coast of Australia in winter last year after heavy storms. I was sea-watching on the last day of southerlies (probably the last chance I had to see them!) near a lighthouse east of Melbourne with seven or eight other birders when one of the birders got a distant fulmar in his scope after about two hours of waiting. Frustratingly, he couldn't get anyone else onto the bird because it was so far away. Fortunately, within half an hour, a second fulmar flew past the coast less than 50m from shore and we all had excellent views... or so we thought! There had been one birder who was watching from the top of a sand dune separate from the rest of the group. Shortly after seeing the second fulmar, a friend and I climbed the dune to talk to him and it was only then that we realised he had been looking too far out through his scope when the bird had flown past. We were pretty devastated for him but luckily at the exact moment he was telling us he'd dipped, I looked out at the sea and pointed out a white seabird flying close to shore... It was a third fulmar!
Ground Cuckooshrike
This species is a rare bird that is almost never twitchable so I really never thought I'd see it in Victoria. Honestly, it's a species that's hard enough to come across in all of Australia. So when a group of birders found a nesting pair during lockdown last year, I was absolutely itching to get out there! After a four month wait, desperately hoping the birds were still around, I went with a few friends to have a look and sure enough there were FIVE cuckooshrikes: two adults and three juveniles. Going back at the start of this year after the adults had nested again, I was fortunate to have excellent views of SEVEN of them together! Seeing a full family of such a beautiful, rare bird is a memory I'll never forget.
Special mentions go to Chestnut Quailthrush and Spotted Quailthrush, which are some of the coolest birds in Australia the first time you see them. Only reasons they missed this list is that they're hard to split and I've now seen both quite a few times!
---
As for my top 10 most-wanted, I'm gonna restrict it to Victoria once again... King Penguin is on the list here even though they're extremely unlikely to show up anywhere north of Tasmania. I can always dream though! One of the crested penguins is a far more likely vagrant here and I would love to get the chance to twitch any penguin eventually.
Australian Painted-snipe
Inland Dotterel
Beach Stone-curlew
Sooty Albatross
Regent Honeyeater
Grey Falcon
Black Bittern
Painted Buttonquail
Redthroat
King Penguin
And a fourth one removed, with Orange-fronted Kakariki seen a couple of weeks ago on Blumine Island in the Marlborough Sounds.