How to speak birdwatching slang
3 minute read
This How-to will help you build your birdwatching vocabulary.
Big Year: a personal challenge to see as many bird species as possible within a year
Bins: your binoculars
Birder: someone who enjoys birdwatching, but not as intensely as a twitcher
Bogey Bird: that elusive bird you desperately want to see but never manage to find
BOP: Bird Of Prey
Digibins: using your camera like binoculars to view birds
Dipped: the disappointment of missing out on seeing a desired bird
Dude: someone who overestimates their bird identification skills
Grip (someone off): to prevent another birder from seeing a rare bird sighting
Lifer: the excitement of seeing a new bird species for the first time
Life list: record of every bird species an individual has personally observed
Little Brown Bird (LBB): a small brown bird that's often difficult to identify
Mega or Mega Find: a rare or unexpected bird sighting that's truly special
Patch: your local area where you regularly birdwatch
Stringer: someone who frequently reports rare bird sightings that turn out to be common
Twitch: to go chasing after a rare bird, or a bird that is not on your life-list
Twitcher: a dedicated birdwatcher who goes to great expense and effort to add new species to their life list
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