Your Birding Life List

Zoogoer2000

Zoogoer2000

Well-Known Member
Hello everyone, I thought I'd start this thread to allow other birders like myself to post their life lists if they have one written up. A life list consists of any bird species that you have seen or heard in person in your life time. I've only been birding for about three years now really, so my list is only about 200 or so species. However, this is means that I am very close to getting all of Ontario's (well my area of Ontario's anyways) common or likely possible species. I'll have to do some travelling soon, not that i'm complaining :). So please everyone if you can, post your lists and lets get this discussion rolling !

Common Loon
Red-necked Grebe
Horned Grebe
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
American Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Mute Swan
Trumpeter Swan
Tundra Swan
Canada Goose
Snow Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
American Black Duck
Gadwall
Northern Pintail
American Wigeon
Northern Shoveler
Blue-winged Teal
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Long-tailed Duck
Common Goldeneye
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Golden Eagle
Bald Eagle
Osprey
American Kestrel
Ruffed Grouse
Wild Turkey
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Virginia Rail
Sora
Sandhill Crane
Black-bellied Plover
American Golden-Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Solitary Sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
Dunlin
Pectoral Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
American Woodcock
Common Snipe
Bonaparte’s Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Caspian Tern
Common Tern
Mourning Dove
Rock Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Black-billed Cuckoo
Long-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Great Horned Owl
Snowy Owl
Great Gray Owl
Barred Owl
Northern Saw-Whet Owl
Eastern Screech-Owl
Chimney Swift
Common Nighthawk
Whip-poor-will
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Willow Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Northern Shrike
Red-eyed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Yellow-Throated Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue Jay
Gray Jay
Common Raven
American Crow
Horned Lark
Purple Martin
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Bank Swallow
Tree Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Tufted Titmouse
Black-capped Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Marsh Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Mountain Bluebird
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Wood Thrush
Veery
Swainson’s Thrush
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
American Pipit
Cedar Waxwing
Northern Parula
Orange-crowned Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Lawrence’s Warbler (backcross hybrid)
Blue-winged Warbler
Golden-winged Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)
Black-throated Green Warbler
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Prothonotary Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Mourning Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson’s Warbler
Canada Warbler
Hooded Warbler
Summer Tanager
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Eastern Towhee
American Tree Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Snow Bunting
Eastern Meadowlark
Bobolink
Brown-headed Cowbird
Red-winged Blackbird
Rusty Blackbird
Common Grackle
Baltimore Oriole
Orchard Oriole
Purple Finch
House Finch
Common Redpoll
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

also include memorable stories about the first time you ever saw a certain species ! My most memorable was most likely the Great Grey Owl. It had made its way to Kingsville, Ontario, just west of Point Pelee. This was the furthest south one has ever been sighted, and I got to watch it for about an hour catching voles about 10 feet away from me, just amazing
 
I am not into birding myself, but my brother was quite into it and got 700 in the USA, which apparently is quite difficult. He is now into making a world mammal list (he goes all over the world) and is already over 500.
 
Chlidonias should have a crazy list. At the risk of sounding like him, I think there was a thread on this a few months ago. I seem to recall him posting a link to a birding website that had his list? Or maybe I dreamt that. Anyway, I suspect that there are a couple people here whose lists are in the thousands.
 
nanoboy said:
Chlidonias should have a crazy list.
Click to expand...

not at all. New Zealand's not exactly renowned for its numbers of bird species and when I do travel I tend to keep going back to the same part of the world so my list doesn't really grow in a proper relation to the number of trips I make, and in addition southeast Asia is one of the hardest places to bird in. If I ever get to Africa and South America my list will sky-rocket!!

Much the same goes for my mammal list - hardly any species that can be easily found in NZ, southeast Asian mammaling is quite difficult as well, and if I can get to Africa and South America it will increase dramatically.
 
Chlidonias said:
not at all. New Zealand's not exactly renowned for its numbers of bird species and when I do travel I tend to keep going back to the same part of the world so my list doesn't really grow in a proper relation to the number of trips I make, and in addition southeast Asia is one of the hardest places to bird in. If I ever get to Africa and South America my list will sky-rocket!!

Much the same goes for my mammal list - hardly any species that can be easily found in NZ, southeast Asian mammaling is quite difficult as well, and if I can get to Africa and South America it will increase dramatically.
Click to expand...

Ok, it sounds like I was dreaming then. :D

I suspect that the website that you posted a few months ago was this website (or something similar). I guess I mistakenly assumed that one of those guys was you. Surfbirds.com - World Bird Species Life List

On a personal note, I only started getting into birdwatching in 2011. As far as I am concerned, I only "saw" a bird if I recorded it in my field guide. This means, however, that I probably only have about 50 birds on my list.
 
nanoboy said:
Ok, it sounds like I was dreaming then. :D

I suspect that the website that you posted a few months ago was this website (or something similar). I guess I mistakenly assumed that one of those guys was you. Surfbirds.com - World Bird Species Life List

On a personal note, I only started getting into birdwatching in 2011. As far as I am concerned, I only "saw" a bird if I recorded it in my field guide. This means, however, that I probably only have about 50 birds on my list.
Click to expand...
I have posted the link to the Surfbirds life listings (it was on one of the My Zoo List threads, where someone had said something about not many birders having got above 8000 species I think), but I'm not on there. I also posted a link on another thread once to my year list on Birdforum (but I don't have my life list on there either).

For what it's worth, my life list is currently 1078 birds (I'm generally pretty strict on what I count: it has to be seen well, and it actually has to be seen - no "heard only" - partly because I suck at identifying bird calls and partly because its bird-watching not bird-listening!!). My mammal life list is 163 species (not including multitudes of unidentified bats and murids!!)

With regards to your last paragraph, Australia is one of the easiest places in the world to go birding, so you're in a good place to start off.
 
Chlidonias said:
I have posted the link to the Surfbirds life listings (it was on one of the My Zoo List threads, where someone had said something about not many birders having got above 8000 species I think), but I'm not on there. I also posted a link on another thread once to my year list on Birdforum (but I don't have my life list on there either).

For what it's worth, my life list is currently 1078 birds (I'm generally pretty strict on what I count: it has to be seen well, and it actually has to be seen - no "heard only" - partly because I suck at identifying bird calls and partly because its bird-watching not bird-listening!!). My mammal life list is 163 species (not including multitudes of unidentified bats and murids!!)

With regards to your last paragraph, Australia is one of the easiest places in the world to go birding, so you're in a good place to start off.
Click to expand...

Wow! Almost 1,100 is impressive - as is 163 mammals.

The down side to me getting into birding so late, is the missed opportunities to birdwatch in North and South America, Europe, and Asia on my travels. Man, I could have notched up some impressive numbers! Now I can't even add to my list the red-tailed black cockatoo from near Darwin or the bush stone curlew from near Cairns. *Sigh* :mad: Maybe one day I will visit those places again.

Listing your ~1,100 birds is probably not practical, but maybe you can tell us about the rarest bird that you saw in the wild and/or your most memorable birding encounter?

[Mine would probably be searching for gang-gang cockatoos in the Grampians. We went to a park where they were reputed to be found 3 days in a row near dusk - no luck. I have an app with the calls of some native birds, so there I was walking through the forest holding my phone in the air with its tinny speakers belting out a call that was only audible up to about 2 metres away: even that did not draw them out. :D

On the 4th day, just when we were about to give up our search, there I was taking a water break, when little seeds started falling on my head. It was a male and female gang-gang 20 metres above my head in a towering gum tree! We stood there craning our necks and trying to take pics until 10 minutes later they flew off, squawking all the way. It's amazing what you find when you stop looking.]
 
I have no car, my traveling is nonexistant, and I've only been at it about 8 months, so my life list is a mere 238. There is a thing in the US called county listing where you have a new lifelist for every county you bird in, thus allowing those of us with limited travel budgets a little more chance. I have about 1500 ticks for my home state of Kansas. My only "heard only" bird is a black rail, because some of the great birders tell me seeing one is near impossible. Also, all but about 6 of my birds were seen in Kansas only. I have friends with 1500, and over 2000 birds on their life lists (thanks to South American and Africa) which blows my mind.

Some of the cooler ones I've seen include snowy owl, long-tailed duck, sandhill crane, western wood-pewee, and black rail. All but the rail were extremly out of range.
 
Last edited:
I only started keeping a list last year. I added all the species I have photographed over the years, so currently the Bird list is 237, Mammals is only 73, Fish/Amphibians/Reptiles is a little over 200.

Like Chlidonias, I'm only interested in things I see, not hear.

:p

Hix
 
I don't think it is used by non-Americans as much as it should, but the website eBird is an amazing way of keeping track of your sightings. No birder over here who is anything doesn't use it, and I'd like to see a more widespread use.
 
ArizonaDocent, over 700 for just the US is huge. There are only 675 birds that are regulars in the US and Canada. To get over 700 he has to have had all 675, plus 25+ vagrants. Very difficult to do.
 
jbnbsn99 said:
ArizonaDocent, over 700 for just the US is huge. There are only 675 birds that are regulars in the US and Canada. To get over 700 he has to have had all 675, plus 25+ vagrants. Very difficult to do.
Click to expand...

675 is just for ABA, which doesn't include Hawaii, where someone could get a few dozen birds not found on the mainland. Still a monumental achievement, I only know one birder who has managed to do this.
 
You can get a good idea from a person's life list how wealthy they are, where they have the good fortune to live, and how much leisure time they have.
 
KCZooFan said:
I have no car, my traveling is nonexistant, and I've only been at it about 8 months, so my life list is a mere 238. There is a thing in the US called county listing where you have a new lifelist for every county you bird in, thus allowing those of us with limited travel budgets a little more chance. I have about 1500 ticks for my home state of Kansas. My only "heard only" bird is a black rail, because some of the great birders tell me seeing one is near impossible. Also, all but about 6 of my birds were seen in Kansas only. I have friends with 1500, and over 2000 birds on their life lists (thanks to South American and Africa) which blows my mind.
Click to expand...
the beauty of listing is that its entirely a personal choice of what and how you list. There are life lists, country lists, county/state lists, trip lists, day lists, year lists, garden lists....whatever you want. You can make it as complex or straightforward as you like. The important thing I think is not to try and compete with anybody, just go for the enjoyment it brings you. A lot of the really top listers (you know, 7000, 8000 species) don't actually seem interested in the birds as such, its just another tick, trying to get the list higher and higher. I'm always interested in what other people have seen, but I don't care if they've seen more birds (although I do allow myself to be jealous if they've seen a Picathartes). It's not "a mere 238 birds"...it's 238 birds!! Awesome!
 
I've begun birding in the past few months and have gotten completely hooked. I may only have about 130, but the thrill of a new species is still fun. My problem right now is birds don't like 100 degree heat any more than humans do. Just waiting until October now.
 
Chlidonias said:
the beauty of listing is that its entirely a personal choice of what and how you list. There are life lists, country lists, county/state lists, trip lists, day lists, year lists, garden lists....whatever you want. You can make it as complex or straightforward as you like. The important thing I think is not to try and compete with anybody, just go for the enjoyment it brings you. A lot of the really top listers (you know, 7000, 8000 species) don't actually seem interested in the birds as such, its just another tick, trying to get the list higher and higher. I'm always interested in what other people have seen, but I don't care if they've seen more birds (although I do allow myself to be jealous if they've seen a Picathartes). It's not "a mere 238 birds"...it's 238 birds!! Awesome!
Click to expand...

Your very correct. Different listing helps me to keep my interest alive. I'm not going to pretend that I don't like the competition, but I think that helps to push you to see more birds. But, one cannot forget to enjoy the birds.

I've begun birding in the past few months and have gotten completely hooked. I may only have about 130, but the thrill of a new species is still fun. My problem right now is birds don't like 100 degree heat any more than humans do. Just waiting until October now.
Click to expand...

I'm sure you could blow any birds I get out of the water down there in Texas. One of the best spots for birds in the country.
 
KCZooFan said:
I'm sure you could blow any birds I get out of the water down there in Texas. One of the best spots for birds in the country.
Click to expand...

It is, just not for summer birds. Surprisingly good in the winter though.
 
FBBird said:
You can get a good idea from a person's life list how wealthy they are, where they have the good fortune to live, and how much leisure time they have.
Click to expand...
not necessarily. Some of the top listers on Surfbirds are actually bird guides for major companies like Rockjumper, so they get paid to rack up their life lists, lucky sods. But I think its safe to say that all the rest of the top bunch are probably very well-off financially.
 
KCZooFan said:
Your very correct. Different listing helps me to keep my interest alive. I'm not going to pretend that I don't like the competition, but I think that helps to push you to see more birds. But, one cannot forget to enjoy the birds.
Click to expand...
I found year listing to be a great boon. I'd always thought of it as a bit pointless, running around wasting money trying to see birds you've already seen hundreds of times before, but then when I started my first year list just to see what it'd be like, I discovered how great it was to do. The main satisfactions I got were firstly it actually makes you get out there looking for birds instead of watching tv, and secondly it really makes you appreciate all those common birds again, even sparrows and starlings, because they are "new" all over again. And of course its lots of fun trying to get a new highest year total, and comparing years to see what you did or didn't see, or when you saw particular species in each year.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top