Hit 50 different bird species in my backyard this month and I'm honestly surprised

I started keeping a simple list back in March and never expected to reach 50 so quickly, especially living in a suburban neighborhood. Has anyone else been surprised by how many species show up once you start paying attention?

3 comments

3 Comments

burns.jenny19d agoOG Member

Actually I think you might be counting a bit wrong here. A lot of people count the same bird more than once if it comes back on different days. That common grackle that shows up every morning is still just one species on your list no matter how many times you see it. I made that mistake at first too with my yard list until a friend explained it to me. But 50 is still great for a suburban spot, just make sure you're not accidentally counting house sparrows and starlings ten times each.

joel_hall1718d ago

Haha yeah I definitely did that at first too with my yard list. Counted a blue jay like 15 times before I realized what I was doing. Makes way more sense now that you explain it like that.

uma_ellis18d ago

Man, I feel that. My first year birding I had the same cardinal on my list like 12 times before I figured out it was the same dude just hanging out. It's honestly way too easy to do, especially when you're excited about seeing something cool. And yeah Jenny is right, those house sparrows are sneaky, they show up in a flock and you think you've got a brand new bird every time. Took me a solid month to stop counting the same mourning dove that sits on my shed roof every single morning.