To List Is Not Necessarily to Be Off Balance

Within the birding community the activity known as `listing' has nothing to dowith vertigo. Making lists of birds is the means by which most birders keeptrack of their observations.

The first list most new birders make is a "Yard List", a record of each birdspecies identified in (or over) the family garden.

Shortly thereafter the urge to record all species seen or identified anywherecan be satisfied by starting a "Life List" which includes all birds seen duringa birder's lifetime. As the numbers add up the discovery of each new "Lifer"becomes more of a notable event. And by the time the higher milestone numbersare reached there is much celebration with each new addition to a "Life List",and, frequently, calls for the lucky birder to pick up the next dinner tab.

While many birders satisfy themselves with just these two lists, broaderchallenges may emerge from within the individual or his birding peers. Thereare geographical lists by county, state, country and even the world;time-limited lists by year, month and day (known as a "Big Day") and even listsof birds photographed. It is also possible to combine lists, to create, forinstance, a "1996 Sonoma County Photo List."

For the most part the rules are loose as to what and how to count. One SouthernCalifornian originally counted only male birds in breeding plumage for his"Life List" (but only briefly). Some will count a bird pointed out to them at agreat distance on a foggy day from a violently rocking boat, while others feelcompelled to carefully examine each field mark first. Most of us are inbetween.

If you want to see your lists in print, submit them to the annual ListReport published, along with rules and a Code of Ethics, by the AmericanBirding Association. Still, every list remains a matter of personalintegrity. The 1994 report tells us that the top ranked "World List" contains7,772 birds and belongs to Phoebe Snetsinger from Missouri. Don Roberson ofPacific Grove held the California record, having seen 559 of the 589 possiblein our home state. Both are known to be excellent field observers.

Birders are creative folks when it comes to lists. One Bolinas birder had a"Fence List" which meant any bird he could see and identify while touching hisfence--and he had long arms--went on his list. Then there are "DreamLists"--birds you have seen only in a dream. Most notable on my personal "DreamList" is the female European Hoopoe.

"S--- Lists" record birds that have deposited their droppings directly onto abirder. "T.V. Lists" are made up of birds seen or heard on T.V. And SantaRosa's Jon Winter claims to have listed a record number of birds (30) that wereimitated by a neighborhood Northern Mockingbird.

Clearly, many of these lists are just for fun. But they also are potentiallyvaluable sources of data for field studies especially when accompanied by fieldnotes that include dates, exact locations and other pertinent facts.

No one interested in birds is too inexperienced to start a list. You probablyalready have the California (formerly the Brown) Towheeand House Finch at your seed feeder. The White-crowned Sparrowshould have arrived by now from his northern breeding grounds for the winter.That makes three already! It could be the start of a fascinating hobby.