My Life List (United States) (1 Viewer)

Well after reading all of the other peoples list i felt that i should add mine. no i did not get these all in one spot and they all are from the US(though none are vagrants from outside the US). I am going down to Texas this november for the Rio Grande Birding Festival so hopefully this list will increase then.

These are posted in order from the Sibley guide.

Red-Throated Loon
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Yellow-Billed Loon
Red-necked grebe
Horned Grebe
Eared Grebe
Pied-Billed Grebe
Western Grebe
Clark's Grebe
Laysan Albatross
Black-footed Albatross
Northern Fulmar
Pink-Footed Shearwater
Manx Shearwater
Short-tailed Shearwater
Sooty Shearwater
American Whtie Pelican
Brown Pelican
Magnificnet Frigatebird
Double-Crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Brandt's Cormorant
Anhinga
Northern Gannet
Masked Booby
Brown Booby
American Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Tricolored Heron
Little Blue Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-Crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis
White-Faced Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill
Wood Stork
Mute Swan
Trumpeter Swan
Tundra Swan
Canada Goose
Cackling Goose
Brant
Greater White-Fronted Goose
Snow Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Gadwall
Northern Pintail
American Wigeon
Eurasian Wigeon
Northern Shoveler
Cinnamon Teal
Blue-winged Teal
Green-Winged Teal
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-Necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
King Eider
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
Black Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Common Goldeneye
Barrow's Goldeneye
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-Breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
Norhtern Harrier
Snail Kite
White-Tailed Kite
Swallow-tailed Kite
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Harris's Hawk
Zone-Tailed Hawk
Red-Shouldered Hawk
Broad-Winged Hawk
Swainson's Hawk
Red-Tailed Hawk
Ferruginous Hawk
Golden Eagle
Bald Eagle
Osprey
Merlin
American Kestrel
Prairie Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
California Quail
Gambel Quail
Chukar
Ring-Necked Pheasant
Dusky Grouse (changed to dusky from Blue for split)(sooty added later)
Ruffed Grouse
Wild Turkey
Purple Gallinule
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Virginia Rail
Sora
Limpkin
Sandhill Crane
Black-Bellied Plover
Pacific Golden-Plover
American Golden-Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Black Oystercatcher
American Avocet
Black-Necked Stilt
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Willet
Spotted Sandpiper
Whimbrel
Long-Billed Curlew
Marbled Godwit
Ruddy Turnstone
Black Turnstone
Surfbird
Sanderling
Dunlin
Pectoral Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Stilt Sandpiper
Long-billed Dowitcher
Short-billed Dowitcher
Common Snipe
Wilson's Phalarope
Red Phalarope
Red-Necked Phalarope
Bonaparte's Gull
Franklin's Gull
Laughing Gull
Mew Gull
Ring-Billed Gull
California Gull
Herring Gull
Thayer's Gull
Glaucous Gull
Glaucous-Winged Gull
Western Gull
Heermann's Gull
Black-Legged KIttiwake
Caspian Tern
Royal Tern
Sandwich Tern
Forester's Tern
Least Tern
Black Tern
Sooty Tern
Brown Noody
Black Skimmer
Common Murre
Pigeon Guillemot
Ancient Murrelet
Marbled Murrelet
Cassin's Auklet
Rhinoceros Auklet
Tufted Puffin
Mourning Dove
WHite-Winged Dove
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Spotted Dove
Rock Pigeon
Band-Tailed Pigeon
White-Crowned Pigeon
White-fronted Parrot
Monk Parakeet
Yellow-Chevroned Parakeet
White-Winged Parakeet
Smooth-Billed Ani
Greater Roadrunner
Barn Owl
Long-Eared Owl
Short-Eared Owl
Great Horned Owl
Barred Owl
Burrowing Owl
Elf Owl
Western Screech-Owl
Eastern Screech-Owl
Northern Hawk-Owl (the bird that hung around in Bend, oregon for a month)
Common Nighthawk
Vaux's Swift
Black Swift
White-Throated Swift
Broad-Billed Hummingbird
Magnificent Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird
Costa's Hummingbird
Black-Chinned Hummingbird
Calliope Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Belted KIngfisher
Acorn Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Williamson's Sapsucker
Red-Breasted Sapsucker
Red-Naped Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Nuttall's Woodpecker
Ladder-Backed Woodpecker
White-Headed Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Western Wood-Pewee
Pacific-Sloped Flycatcher
Willow Flycatcher
Hammond's Flycatcher
Dusky Flycatcher
Gray Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Say's Phoebe
Vermillion Flycatcher
Ash-Throated Flycatcher
Brown-Crested Flycatcher
Gray Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Tropical Kingbird
Western Kingbird
Northern Shrike
Loggerhead Shrike
Red-Eyed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Bell's Vireo
Hutton's Vireo
Plumbeous Vireo
Cassin's Vireo
Blue-Headed Vireo
Steller's Jay
Blue Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
Mexican Jay
Gray Jay
Pinion Jay
Clark's Nutcracker
Black-Billed Magpie
Common Raven
American Crow
Fish Crow
Horned Lark
Purple Martin
Northern Rough-Winged Swallow
Bank Swallow
Violet-Green Swallow
Tree Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Bridled Titmouse
Oak Titmouse
Black-Capped Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
Chestnut-Backed Chickadee
Verdin
Bushtit
Red-Breasted Nuthatch
White-Breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Bewick's Wren
House Wren
Winter Wren
Marsh Wren
Cactus Wren
Rock Wren
Canyon Wren
American Dipper
wrentit
Golden-Crowned Kinglet
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
Townsend's Solitaire
Mountain Bluebird
Western Bluebird
Varied Thrush
American Robin
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Le Conte's Thrasher
European Starling
Hill Myna
Common Myna
American Pipit
Phainopepla
Red-whiskered Bulbul
Cedar Waxwing
Northern Parula
Orange-Crowned Warbler
Lucy's Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Black-Throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-Rumped Warbler
Black-Throated Gray Warbler
Townsend's Warbler
Hermit Warbler
Black-Throated Green Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Palm Warbler
Yellow-Throated Warbler
Grace's Warbler
Black-And-White Warbler
American Redstart
Painted Redstart
Swainson's Warbler
Ovenbird
MacGillivray's Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson's Warbler
Yellow-Breasted Chat
Summer Tanager
Western Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Black-Headed Grosbeak
Rose-Breasted Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak
Lazuli Bunting
Indigo Bunting
Painted Bunting
Spotted Towhee
Green-Tailed Towhee
California Towhee
Canyon Towhee
Albert's Towhee
Rufous-Crowned Sparrow
Sage Sparrow
Black-Throated Sparrow
Clay-Colored Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Golden-Crowned Sparrow
White-Throated Sparrow
White-Crowned SParrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Dark-Eyed Junco
Yellow-Eye Junco
McCown's Longspur
Western Meadowlark
Eastern Meadowlark
Bobolink
Brown-Headed Cowbird
Yellow-Headed Blackbird
Tricolored Blackbird
Red-Winged Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Common Grackle
Boat-Tailed Grackle
Great-Tailed Grackle
Bullock's Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Hooded Oriole
Spot-Breasted Oriole
Scott's Oriole
Evening Grosbeak
Purple Finch
Cassin's Finch
House Finch
Pine Siskin
Lawrence's Goldfinch
Lesser Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

Total: 380 Species

Birds i dont count:
Red-Footed Booby
Great White Heron
Wurdemann's Heron
California Condor

I did see the Red-footed Booby but it was in Hawaii so i am not counting it on my list. The Great White Heron (Great Blue Heron subspecies) also is on this list as well is the Wurdemann's. California Condor is on this list because i did not see one that was countable.

i cant seem to get to the 400 mark, the birds just seem to elude me.

you need to take an eastern vacation...a few day trip to northern Ohio (where i live) in early-mid May would pump up your warbler list. but florida may be your best bet...they have many warblers in migration, plus florida specialties. your list is about a dozen ticks larger than mine, but i have pretty much not birded in the last couple of years. very nice list, though, and many birds i'm jealous of!

yeah, warblers have been a major problem for me along with sparrows and flycatchers, all of which occur in the east. i might have to make a trip out to that area if i can sometime soon, thanks for the help. :t:


I also really need to go north, there are soo many birds up there that dont quite make it down to oregon.

Still a very impressive list :t:

A trip to Cape May NJ during the fall migration could really bump up your list.

i am try for that next fall, the big trip this year is going to be going down to texas for the birding festival. hopefully that might put me over the elusive 400 mark.

Welcome to the world of birding. The more more you get, the harder new ones are to find. I haven't added an ABA bird for six months. You will do well down here in RGV at the bird festival. Hopefully we will get some of the rarities that we had last winter.

Dan in Weslaco

do you know when they are going to post what they saw last year? the only one that i can find is the list from 2003. or is it that they have not had the time to make it yet?

You've been doing some traveling for someone so young. And remember, there's really no hurry. Before you know it you'll be at 400, then 500, and then 600. And somewhere around 650 it gets more difficult and expensive. South Texas will be a blast, but try to leave a few species behind; it's a place you'll want to go back to fairly often all your life. Some of the rarer specialties, birds that don't show up every year took me many trips to see, and few still remain like jacana.

Forgot to post what new birds i have seen recently so here goes...

Added to list due to split...
381. Cackling goose

seen at Rio Grande Birding Festival (in no order, #400 was Brown Jay)
382. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
383. Crested Caracara
384. Least Grebe
385. Neotropic Cormorant
386. Reddish Egret
387. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
388. Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
389. Ross's Goose
390. Mottled Duck
391. White-tailed Hawk
392. Aplomado Falcon
393. Plain Chachalaca
394. Clapper Rail
395. Piping Plover
396. American Oystercatcher
397. Solitary Sandpiper
398. Sabine's Gull
399. Gull-billed Tern
400. Brown Jay (out of order because i know this was my 400th bird)
401. Common Tern
402. Inca Dove
403. White-tipped Dove
404. Green Parakeet
405. Red-crowned Parrot
406. Ferruginuous Pygmy-Owl
407. Paraque
408. Buff-bellied Hummingbird
409. Ringed Kingfisher
410. Green Kingfisher
411. Golden-fronted Woodpecker
412. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
413. Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet
414. Eastern Phoebe
415. Great Kiskadee
416. Couch's Kingbird
417. Cave Swallow
418. Green Jay
419. Black-crested Titmouse
420. Carolina Wren
421. Sedge Wren
422. Long-billed Thrasher
423. Curve-billed Thrasher
424. Sprague's Pipit
425. Nashville Warbler
426. Tropical Parula
427. Pyrrhuloxia
428. Cassin's Sparrow
429. Bronzed Cowbird
430. Orchard Oriole
431. Altimira Oriole
432. Audubon's Oriole



Added on December 29, 2005 at Astoria, Oregon
433. Snowy Owl
434. Emperor Goose (nemesis bird has been defeated!!!)



Victoria, British Columbia
435. Northwestern Crow



Added at YBC in Fort Collins Colorado436. Mountain Plover
437. Lark Bunting
438. Brown Thrasher
439. Brewer's Sparrow
440. Chestnut-collared Longspur441. Pine Grosbeak
442. American Three-toed Woodpecker
443. Sage Thrasher
444. Greater Sage-Grouse
445. Broad-tailed Hummingbird
446. Chimney Swift (back in fort collins)
447. Red Crossbill



448. White-tailed Ptarmigan
449. Sooty Grouse (added due to split of Blue Grouse)
450. Virginia's Warbler
451. Cordilleran Flycatcher452. Grasshopper Sparrow

edit:forgot to add the northwestern crow that i saw in victoria, british columbia...
edit2: added Sooty grouse as AOU split the Blue grouse into the Dusky Grouse (Coastal) and Sooty Grouse (Interior).

Impressive...most impressive...but you are not a Jedi yet! [/Darth Vader]

When someone posts a life list, it's fun not to look at where they are from but try to guess the location from the birds listed. It's as much the absence of a few species that are as important as what's on the list.

did you guess correctly where i live?

I was thinking somewhere northern California to Washington State. Not as specific as Oregon. I'll print out your list and see if a few of my birder friends can take a 'guesstimate'.

ah, sounds like fun

next time i see a new list posted i am going to take a stab at it

thanks for the idea

Well seeing as i have not been on bf in a long time, i need to update this list :smoke:

the only major update is a trip to AZ (though not intentionally for birds i did get a day to go out :king:.

3/27/07
453. Gila Woodpecker

3/29/07
454. Bendire's Thrasher

3/30/07
455. Scaled Quail
456. Arizona Woodpecker
457. Spotted Owl
458. Chihuahuan Raven
459. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
460. Crissal Thrasher

Hopefully I will be able to add more of the species that I have not been able to see when I go back on August 17th. Both of my previous visits have come in late March, thus missing a majority of the specialtly breeders.

8/11/07-Tualatin NWR


461. Ruff


Went twitching after this one and found it. I am now 1 for 2 with Ruffs.

Had a great trip to SE AZ (stayed in Patagonia) on August 17th till the 21st. My Dad and I went around with no guide for the first time and we were semi-successful with only 3 days of Birding

8/18/07
462. Cassin's Kingbird
463. Common Ground-Dove
464. White-eared Hummingbird
465. Lucifer Hummingbird

8/19/07
466. Hepatic Tanager
467. Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher
468. Gray Hawk
469. Violet-crowned Hummingbird

8/20/07
470. Botteri's Sparrow
471. Rufous-winged Sparrow
472. Gilded Flicker

12/28/07
473. Arctic Loon

Seen about 2 hours from here in Brownsmead, Oregon

Was in Malheur from 5/14/08 to 5/18/08 with my Bird Identification&taxonomy class. We saw quite a few nice birds but two birds were lifers for me.

Both seen at Malheur HQ

5/16/08
474. Lewis's Woodpecker


5/17/08
475. Northern Saw-whet Owl