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Birding: Common Terminology
As with any other sport, birding comes with its own set of intricate terminology, which is usually known as \"birding slang.\" While you do not have to memorize every bird term out there, it will help you to become familiar with the following words and their meanings.
1.
Tick: any species that you spot should wind up on your birding list, and those species that you have never seen before will wind up on your \"tick list.\" There are various types of tick lists ranging from \"garden ticks\" to \" trip ticks,\" but the idea here is to note anything new.
2. Lifer: if you spot a lifer, you are truly blessed. A \"lifer\" is a bird that you have never laid eyes on before. Lifers cannot include birds that you have seen while traveling, and they must be birds that you never thought you would lay eyes upon.
3. Sibe: a \"sibe\" is a bird that usually resides in Siberia, but during a flight this type of bird became lost and wound up near your home. The interesting thing is that sibes usually go unnoticed, since these birds are usually rather plain to look at.
4. BOP: a BOP is easily identifiable as a \"bird of prey,\" but many people hardly notice them at all when they are soaring hundreds of feet in the air. Birds of prey are truly magnificent animals, so keep your eyes towards the sky for your next BOP sighting.
5. Seawatching: this type of birding really takes a lot of patience. Seawatching is, exactly, as it sounds - watching for birds while sitting near the sea. Seawatchers spend hours perched upon a rocky cliff in order to spot rare birds, and most of the time seawatchers usually wind up spend the day alongside a seagull or two.
If you are just starting to gain your birding \"wings,\" all of these new terms may be slightly intimidating. However, you should note that many experienced birders do not use these terms at all, and that most birders will be more than happy to help you out when you become confused. The aforementioned terms are most useful when you are attending a large birding trip, and keeping a short list of terms inside of your notebook is not a bad idea.
Though the words mentioned above are some of the more common terms, there are literally hundreds of other bird watching terms out there, so don\'t worry about memorizing all of them. As with any other sport, birders are rather proud of their exclusive world, so it only makes sense that there are numerous words to go along with the many magnificent birds that exist on the planet. For now, try and keep a few terms in mind, and have fun out there.
Rick Chapo writes for NomadJournals.com - makers of rugged and fine bird watching journals for life list.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Chapo
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