Your Most Cosmopolitan Species? (1 Viewer)

Alexjh1

Well-known member

• Apr 9, 2019

• #1

Just a random little thought I was having the other day; what species have people seen in the most countries?

Since I've been birding as an adult, I've visited 7 countries for long enough to do birding.

Out of those, I think:
Barn Swallow, Feral Pigeon, Little Egret, Grey Heron and Great White Egret I've seen in all 7

Tree Sparrow, House Sparrow, Peregrine, Mallard, Great Cormorant, Black-headed Gull, Eurasian Kingfisher and Black Kite are other recurring ones.

 

JWN Andrewes

Poor Judge of Pasta.

• Apr 9, 2019

• #2

Gut reaction without checking (which I shall at some point if I remember) is that I've seen Ruddy Turnstone in quite a few places.

 

Dortmundbirder

Well-known member

• Apr 9, 2019

• #3

House Sparrow and Barn Swallow are I think in the lead as they are usually very common and have a large range. Funnily enough it seems I see Caspain Tern almost everywhere (9 Countries on 4 Continents).

 

Jacana

Will Jones

• Apr 9, 2019

• #4

A quick look tells me Mallard is mine, where I have seen native individuals in 12 countries.

Other good totals are:
11: Grey Heron, Barn Swallow, Black-headed Gull
10: House Sparrow (more non-native), Common Moorhen
9: Common Blackbird, Western Cattle Egret
8: Sand Martin, Eurasian Hoopoe

 

kb57

Well-known member

• Apr 9, 2019

• #5

I haven't got bird lists for everywhere I've been - if I had, I suspect black-headed gull and house sparrow would be near the top in terms of countries I've seen them in.

Leading the field of country records on my Scythebill list is great egret, with 9 - Austria (where I saw my first), Nepal, India, Switzerland, Britain, Hong Kong, Japan, Lithuania and Colombia.

 

stuartvine

Well-known member

• Apr 9, 2019

• #6

Feral Pigeon and Little Egret would be my top two.

 

Larry Sweetland

Formerly 'Larry Wheatland'

• Apr 9, 2019

• #7

Osprey's up there pre-split, and even Western Osprey post split.

 

temmie

Well-known member

• Apr 9, 2019

• #8

Great Egret - Ardea alba - 15
Western Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis - 11
Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica - 11
Western Osprey - Pandion haliaetus - 10
House Sparrow - Passer domesticus - 10
Striated Heron - Butorides striata - 9
Purple Heron - Ardea purpurea - 9
Little Egret - Egretta garzetta - 9
Common Sandpiper - Actitis hypoleucos - 9
Grey Wagtail - Motacilla cinerea - 9

species of note:
Collared Kingfisher - Todiramphus chloris 5
Scarlet Macaw - Ara macao 5
Great Jacamar - Jacamerops aureus 4
Pavonine Quetzal - Pharomachrus pavoninus 3
Lined Forest Falcon - Micrastur gilvicollis 3

I must admit I don't keep track of gulls, sparrows, egrets and those rock pigeons (!) in all countries where I casually bird without writing a trip report...

 

foresttwitcher

Virtually unknown member

• Apr 9, 2019

• #9

14: House Sparrow;
13: Barn Swallow;
12: Raven;
11: Grey Heron, Common Kestrel, Black-headed Gull, White Wagtail;
10: Common Sandpiper, Mallard, House Martin, Great Tit.

 

Alexjh1

Well-known member

• Apr 9, 2019

• #10

I think House Sparrow has ended up disproportionatly low on my list because a lot of birding I've done has been East Asia where tree sparrow replaces it as default urban sparrow or in Italy. But might still end up equaling totals of highest as I'm fairly sure I've seen them on a couple of flight change locations and seen casually in countries I visited when younger.

Purple Heron surprising recent contender at 4 countries, and herons in general seem to do well?

 

Larry Sweetland

Formerly 'Larry Wheatland'

• Apr 9, 2019

• #11

When Nicky and I traveled from Bristol to Tasmania without flying, I became interested in the gradual change of the birds, and how long they stayed with us. Little Egret stayed with us pretty much all the way, and we only lost Magpie when we got to Vietnam, but now of course Magpie's been split so we probably lost it further north in China.

 

Xenospiza

Distracted

• Apr 9, 2019

• #12

Excluding exotics & reintroductions
Swallow: 33 (Eurasian 24, American 9)
Grey Heron: 25
Common Kestrel: 25
Great White Egret: 24 (Western 11, Eastern 5, American 8)
Little Egret: 23

Now usually and somewhat inexplicably split
Cattle Egret: 27 (Western 18, Eastern 9)

Highest "not in the Netherlands"
Striated Heron: 15
American Kestrel: 10

On the opposite end of the spectrum: I've seen 2/3 of my list only in a single country...

 

Warixenjalka

Birdwitcher

• Apr 18, 2019

• #13

During my "birding career" I have visited 18 countries.

15: Common Chaffinch, White Wagtail & Barn Swallow
14: Eurasian Blackbird
13: Common Starling, Magpie, Wood Pigeon, Feral/Rock Pigeon & Black-headed Gull
12: House Sparrow (just 12 countries :eek!, Great Tit, House Martin, Hooded Crow (if you included Carrion C. then 14), Common Swift and Mallard.

 

Andrew Whitehouse

Professor of Listening

Supporter

• Apr 18, 2019

• #14

I have a sort of 'joke' target on every foreign trip of avoiding seeing Peregrine and Osprey. It's surprising how hard it is to do on any continent (though I suppose this is spoiled a bit by the Osprey split). I nearly always seem to get both of these 'rare' birds on every trip I do.

 

Jeff Hopkins

Just another...observer

• Apr 18, 2019

• #15

Excluding feral pigeon and house sparrow, it's gotta be Great Egret. I've seen it in 42 countries. Others:

Little Egret: 20+
Barn Swallow: 20+
Tropical Kingbird; 15
Common Sandpiper: 16
Black Vulture: 13

 

Last edited: Apr 19, 2019