How many do species of birds live in the U.K?

For Birding Enthusiasts: What's the deal with collecting names of all the birds you've seen?

• I am fortunate in that I live in an area where we have over 500 species of indiginous and migratory birds / highest in the nation. We have world famous birding festivals here. I like birds, I really do. They are fun and some are beautiful and fascinating to watch. But I'm seeing with serious birding types, the competitive deal is to make this list of all the birds you have seen, and the more you've seen, well I guess then, the "badder birder" you are! (Get Back Jack!) What's with that? Is this the joy of birding? Showing off your list? And who verifies that you actually SAW that bird? Is there some certification process here? I'm thinking on picking this up birding as a hobby, but if the Nirvana of this hobby is to show off and say "Hey you! MY list is bigger than YOUR list!"...I'm not sure I'm iterested. Are there better reasons to become a birding enthusiast...an Ornithologist...than mere showing off of a list of species you've supposedly seen?

• Answer:

  There are many levels of birding. To some, a walk in the park on a warm spring afternoon, watching and listening to the birds, is all the enjoyment they will ever ask for of their birding experience. For some, they ask more. Some people keep life lists, year lists, week lists, day lists, state and country lists, lists for everyplace they have ever birded. The reasons why they keep lists is as varied as the people keeping them. Some do it, as you suggest, so they can brag. Some do it for posterity, as a personal history. I like this person's explanation of why she keeps a list: "Many bird watchers keep such a life list, noting each new species they discover, along with the place and the date. Birds are creatures of location, and no two locations are exactly alike. So when you travel to a part of the world that you've never been before, you can be sure you'll find birds that are new to you. Even close to where you live, a habitat you have not explored before will provide fresh birds for your life list. After a few years, the term "life list" takes on a new meaning, because the list becomes a chronicle not only of birds but also of one's life--travels, past homes, old friends. Adventures that the years might have erased remain alive because they are memorialized in an entry on the life list. It's only a list of names, places, and dates, but to me my life list reads like a novel." http://www.birdwatching.com/stories/lifelist.html Of course, there are those birders who are competitive about their birding. "The American Birding Association (ABA) is a non-profit organization of people interested in birding. Membership is open to all, but many of its publications and programs have historically been aimed at birders who like making difficult field identifications and finding rare species. In more recent years, however, the ABA membership has drawn more broadly from the entire range of birders. The ABA supports competitive birding by, among other things, encouraging members to submit the numbers of species they've observed—in their lifetime, in the current year, or in one day, for various regions—and publishing the numbers annually." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Birding_Association And then there are those who compete, not just to say "My list is bigger than yours" but to enjoy their favorite pastime while raising awareness - and money - for a good cause. Many of these birders compete in the World Series of Birding. "It all began decades ago in May 1984, when a few teams set out on a 24-hour treasure hunt. Their objective was to tally as many birds as possible in NJ, raise money for their favorite environmental cause, and increase awareness of the habitat needs of migrating birds. They succeeded beyond their wildest dreams, as their love of birding spawned the World Series of Birding, now attracting over a thousand participants annually, and focusing national media attention on the need to protect birds and their habitats. In the past 20 years, the WSB has raised over $8 million for conservation. Sponsored by NJ Audubon, the competition takes place on many levels. Teams can choose to bird the entire state or just one county; teams can compete against their age peers; or teams can raise pledges without lifting binoculars. The goal remains the same for everyone: to identify the most bird species in New Jersey in a 24-hour period, and raise money for conservation in the process." http://www.dvoc.org/WSB/WSB.htm No matter why you bird, whether or not you keep lists, whether or not you compete, is all up to you. If you just want to sit on your back porch and listen to the meadowlarks, well, that's a form of birding, too. By the way, betcha my lifelist is bigger than yours! *grin*