Short-eared Owl

“What wild creature is more accessible to our eyes and ears, as close to us and everyone in the world, as universal as a bird?”

— David Attenborough

Birds play a crucial role in our ecosystem, making them an essential part of our natural world. Being a birder enriches your life and deepens your connection to the natural world.

Their presence not only adds beauty to our surroundings but also serves various important functions that directly impact our lives.

Do you know your birding lingo?

It became the first Osprey on my life list.

life list

/līf list/

noun

USE: ORNITHOLOGICAL

A list of all bird species observed by a person during his or her life.


  • Life Bird or Lifer: a first-ever sighting of a bird species by an observer

  • Spark Bird: a bird that ignites a person's interest in birdwatching

  • Nemesis Bird: a bird that has eluded a birder despite multiple attempts to see it

  • Little Brown Bird or LBB: an informal name used by birders for any of the large number of species of small brown passerine birds which are notoriously difficult to distinguish

  • Nottabird: something that looks like a bird from a distance but turns out not to be a bird when binoculars or a spotting scope are used

  • Usual Suspects: refers to the birds you would normally expect to see in an area each time you go there