Leupold yosemite 6x30s as "jizz binoculars", more on jizz... (1 Viewer)

I have become interested in the subject of birding jizz recently...anyone know of good books, articles or references about it? the 6x30 format seems ideal for the jizz (aka GISS, gesalt) philosophy of birding(taking note of size, shape, impression, unique behavioral characteristics of that species compared to others, etc. and more). The US birding community seems largely behind in this area of birding, whereas the UK has embraced it, especially when you see the species descriptions in their guides...but the US seems to be coming around now in this present time as shown by the two new US bird books that have come out:

The Shorebird Guide
by Crossley, O Brien and Karlson

Pete Dunne's Essential Field Guide Companion
by Pete Dunne

both of these works have significant stuff on jizz, especially Dunne's encyclopedic tome. Anyone have anything to add?

I guess 6x30 is better than 8x or 10x binos for gesalt birding, but only because birds appear smaller. I don't consider that a virtue! The sort of identification skills/techniques that you have listed have always been important for birding, and are indeed how most visual IDs are made by experienced birders. Most detailed ID articles in Birding (the magazine of the ABA) contain plenty of discussion of gesalt. On the other hand, you're right that these points are not given as much attention as are "field marks" in most ID references, but that may be because they are harder to communicate and harder to learn without practical experience, rather than because of a lack of recognition of their importance or a lack of familiarity with these skills on the part of birders. Hawks in Flight by Pete Dunne, David Sibley, and Clay Sutton (published 1988 by Houghton Mifflin) is a modern classic American gestalt birding guide.
--AP

yes that is probably true....

I think if you want to work on jizz, it might be best to stick to one power. I confuse myself some going between 8x and 10x. I think 7x will work pretty good too, and there should be good FOV in some models. But 6x may work for you.

I've been out with some pretty good birders that refused to make calls on raptors we could see in good detail. It was more than jizz. The shape business is quite an art.

i believe 6x will work for at least right now, because i see mostly passerines and only the occasional hawk...and i want eye relief and FOV and compact, lightweight bins, the Leupolds seem perfect for my needs...now for a trip to the store to see them again.... we will see then.

I like your philosophy NC. Low power bins offer the advantage of being more like the naked eye. It's not as silly as it sounds to some. By learning to ID from the more distant perspective of 6x you will find yourself better able to ID closer birds with the naked eye, a valuable skill.
This is in addition to the other advantages of low power: stability, depth of focus, brightness, contrast, field of view, etc. Just the extra split second it takes to stabilize a higher power bin on a warbler moving in the leaves can be enough to miss the bird.
I see you are a young birder. Alexis gave a very good reply which I agree with. The gestalt (German for "shape" or "form") approach is important. It will develop naturally as you see more and more birds. But do be careful to challenge yourself and to learn as much as you can from a more analytical "positivist" approach to ID. It helps alot in your ability to communicate with other birders and as a check on gestalt method limitations.
Both methods have been around for a long time. On another thread it was mentioned that a British field ornithologist used the term "jizz" in the 1920s. So there may be another origin to the term than WW2 air pilots (mentioned on your other thread).
The analytical method comes from ornithology as was practiced in the days befor good optics when shot guns were used to collect birds for minute investigation and classification. Since the birds were dead, the emphasis was on feather by feather types of descriptions. Many species have their names from this era of "birding" such as the Ring-necked Duck, Semipalmated Sandpiper or the Red-bellied Woodpecker. These were named for field marks only obvious when a dead bird is in hand. Another example of this era-before-good-optics is the famous work of Audubon. If you look at them with the eye of an experienced birder, you see immediately that the poses of the birds are often highly unnatural. It is because Audubon posed dead birds himself and had a limited experience of closeup views of birds behaving naturally. Good optics have really changed birding. But its still very important to note discreet field marks which clinch an ID and to record them. As you gain experience, you will use jizz to close in on a rare bird (seeing that it is out of the ordinary in shape or behaviour), and then you will have previously memorized the crucial 'diagnostic' field marks which distinguish that species frm similar species. Being certain of having seen those diagnostic field marks goes a long way, believe me.
I am enjoying your posts. Thanks for contributing to BF.
Marc

nctexasbirder said:

I have become interested in the subject of birding jizz recently...anyone know of good books, articles or references about it? the 6x30 format seems ideal for the jizz (aka GISS, gesalt) philosophy of birding(taking note of size, shape, impression, unique behavioral characteristics of that species compared to others, etc. and more). The US birding community seems largely behind in this area of birding, whereas the UK has embraced it, especially when you see the species descriptions in their guides...but the US seems to be coming around now in this present time as shown by the two new US bird books that have come out:

The Shorebird Guide
by Crossley, O Brien and Karlson

Pete Dunne's Essential Field Guide Companion
by Pete Dunne

both of these works have significant stuff on jizz, especially Dunne's encyclopedic tome. Anyone have anything to add?

Click to expand...

GISS
General Impression of Size and Shape
American birders are not "behind" in studying the many characteristics of birds. Actually, ID's become quite natural if one spends enough time birding.

John

yes John i meant put it into actual publishing, and emphasizing it along with field marks. but yes you are right about it being around longer, in fact since pretty much the Peterson Roadside plates-a good example of jizz being used!

You hit my philosophy right on the nail jedku!


Of course, jizz can never substitiute actual physical marks for identification..but i see it as a wonderful complement to it!

nctexasbirder said:

....jizz (aka GISS, gesalt)....

Click to expand...

It should read GESTALT, which is the German word for shape, form, outline. (edit: Sorry just noticed it has been mentioned before) But in German, in common usage, the word Gestalt is not as comprehensive as the meaning of jizz in English.

yes i thought that spelling might had been incorrect, thanks for pointing that out Swissboy..