Birdwatching Slang
Common birding terms you’ll hear in the field - from bins and lifers to bogey birds and big years.
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
