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Ask a beginning birder and an expert birder for their favorite birds, and you may wonder if they have the same hobby when comparing these two lists.
10 Birds Most Appreciated by Beginning Birders
- Indian Peafowl – A bird like a Las Vegas Dance Revue.
- Bald Eagle – Who doesn’t love raw power?
- Scarlet Macaw – Flashy is good.
- Atlantic Puffin – Cartoon bird made real.
- Greater Flamingo – A bird as a John Waters film.
- European Robin – “It was on the Christmas card!”
- Northern Cardinal – “It was on the Christmas card!” (US version)
- Rainbow Lorikeet – Why color photography was invented.
- Snowy Owl – Arctic mystery and Harry Potter.
- Common Kingfisher – A jewel flashing by – “it must be rare”.
Somewhere in a birding career, bright colors quietly give way to skulking rails and difficult identifications.
10 Birds Most Appreciated by Expert Birders
- Spoon-billed Sandpiper – Iconic and critically specialized.
- Giant Antpitta – Reclusive and rare.
- Fairy Pitta – Fleeting and endangered magic.
- Wallcreeper – Staring at rocks.
- European Nightjar – Masters of camouflage.
- Wilson’s Storm-Petrel – Worth getting seasick for.
- Arctic Warbler – Self-congratulation for difficult id. Yes, birders can be snobs.
- Slaty-breasted Rail – Probably invisible, but hearing counts, too.
- Red Crossbill – Evolution happening in real time.
- Arctic Skua – Pirates are cool.
Progress in birding seems to be mostly about increased excitement for birds that are smaller, browner, and harder to see.
Photo: Slaty-breasted Rail, Hainan, January 2022
Written by Kai Pflug
Kai has lived in Shanghai for 22 years. He only started birding after moving to China, so he is far more familiar with Chinese birds than the ones back in his native Germany. As a birder, he considers himself strictly average and tries to make up for it with photography, which he shares on a separate website. Alas, most of the photos are pretty average as well. He hopes that few clients of his consulting firm—focused on China’s chemical industry—ever find this blog, as it might raise questions about his professional priorities. Much of his time is spent either editing posts for 10,000 Birds or cleaning the litter boxes of his numerous indoor cats. He occasionally considers writing a piece comparing the two activities.
English (US) · 
French (CA) ·