TIME FOR BIRDING

 

Now that summer is over, and the ducks are returning to our islands, it is interesting to note some new facts from a November 2024 report from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) which reflects staggering numbers. There are an estimated 96 million birders in the United States—more than a third of U.S. adults—who together spent more than $107 billion in 2022.  The average age of birders in the US is 49 years old.

The number of species in the USA can vary depending on whether the count is for 50 states, leaving out Hawaii and Alaska and U.S. territories. Most comprehensive counts includes all of these regions.  For example, the Wikipedia list includes species found in the 50 states and District of Columbia, plus those found in U.S. territories, for a total of 1,267 species

There are approximately 993 bird species known to occur in the contiguous "Lower 48" United States, according to the American Birding Association (ABA)'s criteria, though figures can vary slightly depending on whether accidental or casual visitors are included, with sources like eBird and Fat Birder referencing similar or slightly different numbers depending on the date and criteria. 

California has the highest recorded species diversity (706 species), followed by Texas (668 species) and Arizona (576 species). Washington State has 522 species. 

The North American (ABA Area) Record was set by John Weige in  2019 with 840 species.

The United States (Continental U.S.) Record is  750 species  by Ruben and Victor Stoll in 2022. 

Lower 48 United States Record: 759 species by Ezekiel Dobson in 2024. 

A new checklist recognizes 11,131 species of birds in the world, classified within 252 families. 

The American, Peter Kaestner, has seen the most birds, becoming the first person to see 10,000 unique bird species in the wild, a feat he accomplished on February 9, 2024, with the sighting of an Orange-tufted Spiderhunter in the Philippines. A retired diplomat and lifelong birder, Mr. Kaestner has spent decades traveling and documenting birds, and his life list now includes over 90% of the world's known bird species.

An avid birder, he has taken advantage of his position as an international diplomat to follow his hobby.^[ By October 1986, he had become the first birder to see a representative of each bird family in the world and was recognized in the Guinness World Records. 

In 1989, while on a birding expedition near Bogota, Colombia, where he was a U.S. consular officer, he discovered a species new to science, the Cundinamarca Antpitta (Grallaria kaestneri), which was subsequently named after him.