So you’ve just begun your journey into the exciting world of birding, and you’ve been out on a few adventures on your own. Feeling a bit more confident and wanting to connect with your local birding community, you decide to attend a birding event—but you start hearing terms like “lifer,” “trash bird,” and “LBJ.” All of the sudden, your confidence flies away faster than a “nemesis bird” while your back is turned.
Not to worry! Every hobby has its own lingo, and birding is no different. Some words are self-explanatory, some a little more unique, and some are downright bizarre (what the hell is a “Patagonia Picnic Table Effect“?). So we’ve built this handy glossary of terms to help. While it might not help make you a successful birder, it’ll at least help you sound like one…
Glossary
A / B / C / D / E / F / G / H / I / J / K / L / M / N / O / P / Q / R / S / T / U / V / W / X / Y / Z
B
Big Day (n)
An event in which a birder or team of birders sets out to witness as many species as possible within a calendar day.
– I’m hoping to see at least 20 different species during this Big Day.
Big Year (n)
An event in which a birder sets out to witness as many species as possible within a defined area (county, state, ABA area) within a calendar year; originated with the American Birding Association.
– In 2016, ABA record holder John Weigel had quite the Big Year, setting the record with a species count of 835.
Bins (n)
Abbreviation for binoculars.
– I’ve got my field guide, plenty of water and snacks, and my bins—let’s get out there and see some birds!
C
Crippler (n)
A rare bird whose presence leaves you crippled—whether by its extreme rarity or sheer beauty—and unable to move on.
– The Kirtland Warbler was such a crippler I had a hard time thinking about any other birds on the trip.
D
Dip (v)
To miss out on seeing a common bird, a bird you really wanted to see, or a rare bird everyone else saw but you missed.
– Every time I come to this spot, I dip on the Belted Kingfisher and go home frustrated!
Dude (n)
Slightly pejorative term for a novice birder or someone who seeks birds mainly for photography rather than study.
– This trip is full of a bunch of dudes just trying to get a good Instagram photo.
G
GISS (often spelled phonetically as j-i-z-z) (n)
Generally accepted as originating from the WWII plane-identifying acronym GISS—General Impression Shape and Size—experienced birders can often identify birds by their overall impression of the general shape, movement, behavior, etc., of a species rather than any particular feature.
– I didn’t get a good look at it, but it definitely had the giss of a thrush.
H
Hammer (v)
To get very high-quality photos of a bird. Also: crush.
– I hammered a ton of photos of that Osprey that lives on campus this weekend!
L
A classification for the small, drab songbirds that are difficult to distinguish.
– I went looking for cardinals, but all I came across were a ton of LBJs.
The first-time sighting of a bird for an individual.
– The Altamira Oriole I saw on my trip to Mexico was an unexpected lifer.
M
Mega (n)
A very rare bird.
– I went to New Zealand in hopes of finding a mega like the Kakapo.
Megatick (n)
Sighting a very rare bird—not just rare for the individual but rare in birding in general.
– I couldn’t believe the megatick I got on my trip to New Zealand when I actually saw a Kakapo.
N
A particular species that constantly eludes an individual birder.
– No matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to catch a glimpse of a Hermit Warbler—truly my nemesis bird!
P
Patch (n)
A birding location (or set of locations) that a birder visits frequently.
– My friend from the forums happened to be in my hometown, so I took him to my local patch to give him a tour of our birds.
Patagonia Picnic Table Effect (n)
The phenomenon that occurs when a rare bird causes several birders to flock to a site, resulting in more interesting species being spotted in that same area.
– After Sarah posted a picture of a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl in South Texas, birders jumped at the chance, resulting in a Patagonia Picnic Table Effect and a rare Green Jay sighting.
Pelagic (adj)
Relating to the open sea. In birding terms, it describes open-ocean species like the albatross.
– Always drawn to the sea, I organized a boat tour to seek out a few pelagic species to tick.
“Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans) in flight, East of the Tasman Peninsula, Tasmania, Australia” by JJ Harrison / Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
Pish (v)
A specific sound (pishhh) made in an attempt to induce mobbing behavior and draw songbirds out into the open—mimics the alarm calls of chickadees and titmice.
– We weren’t having any luck on our chickadee trip until Larry pished and a whole flock of them rushed out.
S
Siesta Time (n)
The time of day, around midday, when birds are the least active.
– We hit traffic on the way to the park, and by the time we got there, it was siesta time and no birds were in sight.
SOB (n)
Acronym for “Spouse of Birder”; someone who is married to or involved with a birder but is not a birder themselves.
– Steve is a supportive SOB, agreeing to honeymoon in New Zealand so Sharon can tick all the wonderful native birds the islands offer.
Sp. / Spp.
Abbreviation for species—sp. (singular); spp. (plural)
Spark Bird (n)
The particular species that sparks a lifelong passion for birding.
– I wasn’t sure if birding was for me, but then I saw my spark bird, a gorgeous Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, and I was hooked.
String (v)
Intentionally misleading others about the presence of a bird.
– Jealous that he had dipped on the Purple Gallinule, Bryce attempted to string us with a suspicious “sighting” of a Limpkin.
Stringy (adj)
A reporting of a bird that draws skepticism.
– Bryce claimed to have seen a Limpkin, but it seemed a bit stringy to me.
Stringer (n)
A person who frequently and intentionally misleads others about sightings (as opposed to well-intentioned mistakes due to lack of knowledge or experience).
– Don’t listen to Bryce; he’s a notorious stringer.
T
Tick (n)
A new bird added to an individual’s list—like ticking a bird off your list.
– On my trip to California, I was finally able to tick the Yellow-billed Magpie.
A bird that is so common to an area that it becomes annoying.
– I’ve not seen any bird I came to see, but there were plenty of trash birds just taunting me with their abundance.
Twitch (v)
To travel long distances to seek out a particular bird, often a rare bird. People who do this often are called twitchers.
– After retiring, Bob started to twitch for some of the rare species that had eluded him over the years.
V
Vagrant (n)
A bird that has strayed a far distance from its normal ecological range.
– Everyone thought my Social Flycatcher sighting in Los Angeles was stringy, but the photo confirmed it was a vagrant.
W
Warbler Neck (n)
Similar to “Taco Neck,” warbler neck is a pain or crick in the neck caused by an extended time looking for birds high up in trees.
– I had a difficult time sleeping last night thanks to the warbler neck I got trying to find a Hermit Warbler—again.
