Wannabe World Lister (1 Viewer)

[ebirder]

After many years of enviously following those with amazingly high world lists and the final realisation that I will never join that select club. I decided to reset my goals to trying to get to half the worlds birds in a lifetime.

As it stands at the moment birding trips for the next few years will probably be limited to 7-10 days (all I can get away with) maybe one a year plus a family holiday.

So my question is if you wanted to see as many birds as you can in a week keeping it semi sensible from the UK (Peru for a week is a bit of a tall order) what would your top 5 destinations be?

 

[Welsh Peregrine]

It is stupid, but Peru or Ecuador for a week would probably give the biggest list! Realistically, to build a big world list, you need to hit the different zoogeographical regions, so USA (spring migration - Texas), Peru or Ecuador, Kenya or South Africa, India and Australia are probably the keys - I've done most of these plus, and I'm up to about a quarter of the world's species......

 

[ebirder]

Sadly I too have done most of these but as a mix of Family holidays, Business trips and the odd Birding trip. but still sit just below 1500 species, I know is a dismal total, but some great times and even better birds.

I went to the Gambia for a week last year and managed just over 200 species, I am looking for ideas for other such locations.

 

[lewis20126]

ebirder

I wouldn't worry too much about the total - it's much better to enjoy the birds you are looking at and try to get good views of the ones you do see. I've seen more than a few "world listers" noting down the birds that their guides have seen that day, whether they have seen them or not (some of them probably can't remember!). IMO its better to see 2000 birds well (and identify them and know them) than it is to be shown 4000 birds which you can't identify or remember. Others may disagree!

cheers, alan

 

[chris butterworth]

I totally agree with Alan. Enjoy the birds for themselves, not as mearly a number, make a list of those species you really couldn't shuffle off this mortal coil without seeing ( Resplendent Quetzal was one of mine - and it took about 40 years to get around to seeing one ) and be relaxed about it.

 

[Andy Hurley]

ebirder

I wouldn't worry too much about the total - it's much better to enjoy the birds you are looking at and try to get good views of the ones you do see. I've seen more than a few "world listers" noting down the birds that their guides have seen that day, whether they have seen them or not (some of them probably can't remember!). IMO its better to see 2000 birds well (and identify them and know them) than it is to be shown 4000 birds which you can't identify or remember. Others may disagree!

cheers, alan

I agree with you Alan. Listing for listings sake seems to me to be a pretty pointless excercise in a my list is bigger than yours sort of way. I saw 150 new species in Namibia last year and I photographed them all, I probably saw more, but didn't put them on my life list because I can't recall seeing them. They were all self found without the help of a guide. Although there is nothing wrong with getting expert help to achieve your aims, I found it better to find the birds myself and work out what they were, or ask on here when I was unsure or stuck completely. I fear that the more I get to see, the less I will remember. My list is currently on 551 and I'm having difficulty recalling what each one looks like when I just read the list. Thankfully I photographed all bar the Barn Owl so I can look at my photos and hence my memories through the photos. They are not all good, even mediocre compared to what appears in the Gallery, but most are adequate record shots and some I've printed out and hung on the wall of my spare room. The problem is, the room isn't big enough for more than about 100 4x6 or 5x7 inch photos as the other walls are full of bookshelves.

 

[ebirder]

I totally agree with all that's been said its not just about numbers but I do feel I want to see as much as possible with my hard earned pound so to speak.

A week in the Gambia was ideal. 200 birds in a week all self identified and with plenty of time to enjoy, what I am really after is some other recommendations from those who have been lucky enough to do more Bird dedicated travel as to where they would choose for a week?

 

[Robin Edwards]

So my question is if you wanted to see as many birds as you can in a week keeping it semi sensible from the UK (Peru for a week is a bit of a tall order) what would your top 5 destinations be?

If you can stretch to Costa Rica for two weeks, you can easily see between 500 and 550 species - Keyna probably likewise although nowhere near as cheap as it used to be.

For DIY/Cost from UK, I'd probably follow the well troden trail of Gambia, Goa which would easily give you 500 species with a well-planned week at each. Ethiopia will give 300+ in a week and is less expensive than some other destinations in Africa.

 

[lewis20126]

I totally agree with all that's been said its not just about numbers but I do feel I want to see as much as possible with my hard earned pound so to speak.

A week in the Gambia was ideal. 200 birds in a week all self identified and with plenty of time to enjoy, what I am really after is some other recommendations from those who have been lucky enough to do more Bird dedicated travel as to where they would choose for a week?

A week is a tough duration as almost everywhere outside the WP requires 2-3 weeks to do it justice. That said, a few suggestions:

Africa: Ghana (forests of the south/west); South Africa (Cape, Eastern Loop from Jo'burg); Namibia (Etosha, Waterberg + Coast)
Asia: Goa area (as above), Sri Lanka, Thailand (KK, KY plus spooners)
South America: W Ecuador (Mindo / Tandayapa area with day trips west), East Ecuador (San isidro plus Wild Sumaco)
Central America: Mexico (Yucatan), Costa Rica (various, see above)
Carribean: a good place for week long trips: Cuba, Jamaica, DR, 2-4 of the Lesser Antilles, Trinidad


cheers, alan

 

[dandsblair]

Couple of other suggestions

Trinidad is doable in a week, if you can stretch to a few more days then add Tobago. Really good intro to South American birding but with manageable numbers of confusing species. No need for guide most places.
Kenya mentioned but we have seen more in Tanzania and it is usaully less busy again doable without a guide but need to be selective say Ndutu, Serengeti and Arusha in a week or just Usamabara Mountain and Coast although for mountains I would suggest a guide.
While it sounds a bit mad - just doing one island would suggset Luzon in Philippines and covering Subic, Manilla, Candaba and Mount Makiling would add loads of endemics.
Thailand perhaps around Krabbi and Bangkok
Hong Kong or Beidahe for a week are also worth considering around migration time

Having said that we have usually done at least 17 days when we travel those distances.

 

[Larry Sweetland]

. I decided to reset my goals to trying to get to half the worlds birds in a lifetime.

that's my goal too, but at the moment the world list is getting bigger at a greater rate than mine, so I'm actually getting further away from that goal! If only taxnomists would stop splitting and lumping the wrong ones

 

[Jim M.]

Another less ambitious goal is to focus on ticking a member of each of the world's bird families. It's also a motivation to learn about bird taxonomy rather than just amassing numbers of species.

As for short, species rich trips, that depends on three main factors: the number of species in the area, the variety of habitat, and how easy the birds are to see. Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Uganda probably have the highest number of species in a small area. A north/central Thailand trip in winter (when migrants are present) would also be productive. And eastern South Africa has both a high number of species and many birds that are easy to see. A week long trip to a lodge such as Serra dos Tucanos in SE Brazil would also provide an attractive species per pound ratio.

 

[chris butterworth]

Islands are always a good place to start as they tend to have endemics, as well as more widespread species. A week in Sabah, staying at Mt Kinabalu and a camp on the Kinabatangan, should net you a good few species. In addition to David and Sarahs suggestion of a single island trip such as Luzon I'd add Palawan.

 

[Mysticete]

yeah...I would love to see all the birds in the world, but world birding just isn't a feasible goal for me in the short term (I can barely keep myself abreast of bills currently as an unemployed scientist, nevertheless travel anywhere)

Personally my goal is to see every family of bird in the world. seems a more manageable goal, although still a ton of travel necessary.

 

[njlarsen]

I read a book by the son of a world birder written by his son. The message regarding listing was that for a trip to be worth while, you had to go with a guided tour of the type that more or less guarantees cleaning up all endemics in an area, because realistically, you will not come back: other areas will give more ticks on the next trip.

As others have said, that is not my style of birding. Whether it is yours, that is up to you.

A tool: http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/myavibase.jsp (which I have not used) promise to tell you how many new species you can get in each new territory/country if you have uploaded your life list. That should help you figure out where you can get the most bang for your buck, if you continue on the path to world listing.

Niels

Edit: I am currently at about 1/4 of the worlds birds, but I mainly travel work related, so I do visit places again