bird watching Info and trivia

Info and trivia

Birdwatching or birding is the observation and study of birds usually through a visual enhancement device, most commonly binoculars. Most birders or birdwatchers pursue this activity for recreational or social reasons, unlike ornithologists, who are engaged in the formal scientific study of birds. An Ornithologist however, studies birds using the same methods as birders.

"Twitching" is a British term used to mean the pursuit of a previously located rare bird .

Some say it satisfies an innate need for human connection to the environment

The most active times of the year for birding in the temperate zones are during spring and fall migration when the greatest variety of birds may be seen. These birds are traveling north or south to wintering or nesting locations.

Seawatching is a type of birdwatching where participants observe birds at sea.

They may do this from a coastal location, usually a headland, looking out to sea, or from a boat or ship.

Seawatching is commonly performed during migration seasons, and particularly when weather conditions are suitable (when weather is fine, birds often stay out to sea, and pelagic trips are then a more effective way to observe them; if onshore winds combine with rain, birds can be forced to migrate close to shore).

Groups of birds for which seawatching is an effective observation method include tubenoses, terns and skuas.

Competitions - Event
A North American one-day birding competition is called a Big Da ; in Britain it is called a Bird Race. Teams trying to win such competitions usually have 24 hours in a designated geographical area to do so. They commonly drive hundreds of kilometers. Some record-chasers have employed private jets and helicopters in the enterprise.

The most popular birding competitions in the US are the one day World Series of Birding which is held in New Jersey in May and the five-day Great Texas Birding Classic held in April.

A Big Year is an informal competition among North American birders to see who can see or hear the largest number of species of birds within a single calendar year and within a specific geographical area.

THE BRITISH BIRDWATCHING FAIR IS THE WORLD'S FIRST AND LARGEST INTERNATIONAL BIRDWATCHING EVENT

Described as the birdwatcher’s Glastonbury , Birdfair encompasses the whole spectrum of the birdwatching industry whilst at the same time supporting global bird conservation.

Bird ringing (also known as bird banding) is an aid to studying wild birds, by attaching a small individually numbered metal or plastic ring to their legs or wings, so that various aspects of the bird's life can be studied by the ability to re-find the same individual later. This can include migration, longevity, mortality, population studies, feeding behaviour, and many other aspects.

Some Terminology

burn up or flog = beat around in the undergrowth hoping to flush a bird. A desperate measure and not a kind way to treat an exhausted migrant. May cause damage to bird life. May scare bird away from nest.
Mega = A very rare bird
dip out (or dip) = To miss seeing a bird which you were looking for.
Dude = Novice birdwatcher, slightly pejorative term. Also used to refer to someone who seeks out birds for photography rather than study.
First = A first record of a species.
To grip off (or grip) = To see a bird which another birder missed and to tell them you've seen it.
Lifer: A first-ever sighting of a bird species by an observer, an addition to one's life list.

Tick: An addition to a personal list (sometimes qualified as year tick, county tick, etc.). Life tick and lifer are synonymous. A tart's tick is a relatively common species added to one's list later than might be expected.
Yank: A bird from North America (usually applied to rare migrants).
List:

Noun: a list of all species seen by a particular observer. Keen twitchers may keep several lists, and some listers compete to amass longer lists than their rivals.
Verb: to keep or compile a bird list (lister is close in meaning to twitcher).
Sibe: A bird from Siberia (usually applied to rare migrants).
String:
Noun: A dubious, ropy record.
Verb: to claim such a record.

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The American Birding Association (ABA) is a non-profit organization of people interested in birding.

The RSPB