In a message dated 4/27/2004 8:44:43 AM Eastern Standard Time,
 writes:

> What is the general
> feeling among birders about including in their life lists birds one has
> heard but not seen?  Thanks!
>

Barry,
 My personal feeling, and which varies with other birders I know, is that it
is OK to add any heard birds to your life list. My feeling is that we all have
birds on our lists which we have never HEARD, but have only seen. Then to me
it makes perfect sense to have birds on our lists which we have only SEEN and
not heard. For instance, I have seen Swallow-tailed Kite, but have never heard
one. It is on my life list. Ditto for Mississippi Kite. Ditto Snowy Owl. And
the list goes on. On my list of heard only birds, I have Whip-poor-will
(though I've had brief glimpses of birds flitting along woodland edges), Black Rail,
etc. Some birds are most certainly identifiable by voice only and are
difficult to see without disturbing the birds.

It is clearly a personal choice and yours alone to make. You can always put
the bird on your list with the notation of "seen only" or "heard only", and in
the future maybe you can hear or see any bird on this list. I know some
birders who feel they can't add a species to their "list" unless they see a breeding
plumaged male, or both male and female of a species. The list is yours to
make and keep, any way you want to. Me, I feel comfortable with heard only birds,
provided you're certain of its identity.

Rick Sussman
Ashton,MD


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