Kotatsu
Phthirapterist
I saw this in another forum once, and thought I'd just post this to see if this forum would be interested in trying something similar:
I myself am a birdwatcher, and also have the good fortune of getting to work with birds. As many birdwatchers do, I keep track of which birds I see every year, and when and where I see them for the first time that year. I suspect there are other people here who are either birdwatchers, or who like to look at birds, or --- to get an educational aspect into it --- who would like to learn more about birds in their immediate surroundings. I therefore propose that we start a forum bird list for 2008. I know I am one day late, but figured that wouldn't matter much, as any avid birdwatcher who thinks this is a good idea would be able to remember what they saw yesterday:
The rules and stuff:
1. All and any wild birds (category A, C, or D) which are observed by a forum member are valid for inclusion in the list. If the bird is a category C or D bird in your area, it has to be accepted of by your local rare bird committee or similar institution (1).
2. These observations are to be posted here, with a date and a location. We will trust each other enough to assume that all observations are correct, unless not accepted by a local rare birds committee.
3. This means that if you are the least bit uncertain, ask here before posting a definite record. If possible, provide a picture or a recording of it. Places like Mangoverde have large collections of pictures of birds in various plumages from all across the world. You don't have to be the one who figured out which species it was to get your observation to count, as long as you saw the birds.
4. I volunteer to keep track of the number of species and so on, both on the forum and in a separate list outside of the forum.
5. For taxonomical purposes, we will use Clement's checklist as a basis, as that is the only one I have. However, where this checklist is at odds with the recommendation of local ornithological societies, we will use these local lists, provided a link to an article on which their decision is based can be presented (2). This checklist contains about 9800 named species.
6. As names of birds differ, all records should preferably contain both an English name and a scientific one (these things are not that hard to find out). If you know that the species in question has a tangled taxonomic history, please be prepared to answer questions that may arise in relation to assigning proper status to a particular finding. For instance, Thalasseus sandvicensis is now the correct name for the Sandwich tern, but I believe Clements would list this as Sterna sandvicensis.
7. Only birds seen in real life will count. Stuffed birds, birds in cages, birds seen on TV or heard on the radio, birds seen in books, and birds seen on planets other than Earth will not be accepted. We will trust that these conditions are met unless we have reason to suspect otherwise. Birds caught in nets or traps will count, but dead ones will not.
8. As always, don't be stupid out there. No bonus point will be handed out because you climbed into an eagle's nest, scared up snipes in the middle of the winter, threw rocks into the long grass to scare them up, or so (3). Be careful when watching birds, especially during their breeding season.
9. Have fun! Birds are, along with insects, the most accessible group of animals, and they are amazing. See this as an opportunity to get better acquainted with the other animals on this planet! Next year, if this goes well, we could count mammals or insects or molluscs or whatever, so everyone learns something.
ETA:
Don't hesitate to ask questions about birds you've seen, and so on. I know most of the ones in Europe, and I am sure there are other people here who can help with other parts of the world. Also, please comment on the rules and stuff above, even if you think this is a crappy idea.
---
(1) Categories:
A - Spontaneously occurring birds in an area since 1950.
B - Spontaneously occurring birds in an area only observed before 1950 (this distinction is mainly a statistical one)
C - Birds introduced by man into an area, or spontaneously occurring birds likely to originate from such a population
D - Possibly spontaneously occurring birds, but ones which cannot definitely be said not to be escapees from parks, farms or similar.
E - Birds which are definitely escapees (ostriches in North America, falcons with falconing gear still attached)
(2) I have such recommendations for British and European birds, issued by the British society, the name of which I can't remember at the moment, but which probably contains the word "Royal". This list will be used for European birds.
(3) This is not uncommon for some types of birdwatchers.
I myself am a birdwatcher, and also have the good fortune of getting to work with birds. As many birdwatchers do, I keep track of which birds I see every year, and when and where I see them for the first time that year. I suspect there are other people here who are either birdwatchers, or who like to look at birds, or --- to get an educational aspect into it --- who would like to learn more about birds in their immediate surroundings. I therefore propose that we start a forum bird list for 2008. I know I am one day late, but figured that wouldn't matter much, as any avid birdwatcher who thinks this is a good idea would be able to remember what they saw yesterday:
The rules and stuff:
1. All and any wild birds (category A, C, or D) which are observed by a forum member are valid for inclusion in the list. If the bird is a category C or D bird in your area, it has to be accepted of by your local rare bird committee or similar institution (1).
2. These observations are to be posted here, with a date and a location. We will trust each other enough to assume that all observations are correct, unless not accepted by a local rare birds committee.
3. This means that if you are the least bit uncertain, ask here before posting a definite record. If possible, provide a picture or a recording of it. Places like Mangoverde have large collections of pictures of birds in various plumages from all across the world. You don't have to be the one who figured out which species it was to get your observation to count, as long as you saw the birds.
4. I volunteer to keep track of the number of species and so on, both on the forum and in a separate list outside of the forum.
5. For taxonomical purposes, we will use Clement's checklist as a basis, as that is the only one I have. However, where this checklist is at odds with the recommendation of local ornithological societies, we will use these local lists, provided a link to an article on which their decision is based can be presented (2). This checklist contains about 9800 named species.
6. As names of birds differ, all records should preferably contain both an English name and a scientific one (these things are not that hard to find out). If you know that the species in question has a tangled taxonomic history, please be prepared to answer questions that may arise in relation to assigning proper status to a particular finding. For instance, Thalasseus sandvicensis is now the correct name for the Sandwich tern, but I believe Clements would list this as Sterna sandvicensis.
7. Only birds seen in real life will count. Stuffed birds, birds in cages, birds seen on TV or heard on the radio, birds seen in books, and birds seen on planets other than Earth will not be accepted. We will trust that these conditions are met unless we have reason to suspect otherwise. Birds caught in nets or traps will count, but dead ones will not.
8. As always, don't be stupid out there. No bonus point will be handed out because you climbed into an eagle's nest, scared up snipes in the middle of the winter, threw rocks into the long grass to scare them up, or so (3). Be careful when watching birds, especially during their breeding season.
9. Have fun! Birds are, along with insects, the most accessible group of animals, and they are amazing. See this as an opportunity to get better acquainted with the other animals on this planet! Next year, if this goes well, we could count mammals or insects or molluscs or whatever, so everyone learns something.
ETA:
Don't hesitate to ask questions about birds you've seen, and so on. I know most of the ones in Europe, and I am sure there are other people here who can help with other parts of the world. Also, please comment on the rules and stuff above, even if you think this is a crappy idea.
---
(1) Categories:
A - Spontaneously occurring birds in an area since 1950.
B - Spontaneously occurring birds in an area only observed before 1950 (this distinction is mainly a statistical one)
C - Birds introduced by man into an area, or spontaneously occurring birds likely to originate from such a population
D - Possibly spontaneously occurring birds, but ones which cannot definitely be said not to be escapees from parks, farms or similar.
E - Birds which are definitely escapees (ostriches in North America, falcons with falconing gear still attached)
(2) I have such recommendations for British and European birds, issued by the British society, the name of which I can't remember at the moment, but which probably contains the word "Royal". This list will be used for European birds.
(3) This is not uncommon for some types of birdwatchers.
Last edited:
