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2018 Big Year
Topic Started: Dec 27 2017, 08:05 PM (7,792 Views)
Anton
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King of Cotingas

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If there's one thing that brings all of the TRT members together, it's the love of animals. For most members this probably means an interest in zoos and animals in captivity in general, but there are a lot of members interested in observing wild animals as well.

Those that do are probably familiar with the "big year" concept: keeping track of all animals you see within a single calendar year. This can be done within a certain region (which is how the idea and name came to existence, after birders aimed to see as many species within the USA in one single year), but because we have members from all over the world we decided world listing would be more interesting.

Basically, the idea is as follows; from the 1st of January until the 31st of December, everyone who participates keeps track of the animals they see and identify, and lists them all in the order of seeing them. Every time you see a new species, you add onto that list by posting a new post in this topic. At the end of the year you can then easily compile a total list of the animals you saw that year, and keep the memories of seeing those species forever!
Of course, we'll add a little extra competition by bringing pointies into the mix. You'll be rewarded in pointies for every few animals you see, and at the end of each month the person with the most new species will be given a silhouette!

Rules:
  • Number your lists. This way it's always easy to check how many species you've seen.
  • We keep track of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates. If you choose to only list the groups that interest you most, that's fine! A lot of people generally don't bother counting invertebrates.
  • Keep different lists for different classes (except with fish and invertebrates, list all different fish classes together and all different invertebrate classes together for those). Separate the lists for birds, mammals, reptiles etc. from each other.
  • Highlight the species you see for the first time ("lifers") in bold. This makes for a more interesting overview, and makes the listing of species more rewarding as you can draw more attention to the species that are more special to you!
  • We only list species, not subspecies, to prevent taxonomical debates. However, if you see a different subspecies worth mentioning, it's always interesting to include that in your post (without numbering it and putting it on the list). Hybrid animals don't count either.
  • We only list species we've seen directly, not species we've only heard. Similarly to different subspecies, it's always interesting to add the heard-only species to your post without listing them!
  • We only list actual wild species, escaped exotic species don't count unless they've become self-established (like feral pigeons everywhere, ring-necked parakeets in Europe and common starlings in North America).
  • List common names and binominal names of all species you see. Common names differ immensely per bird checklist (Clements, IOC, etc.), so to keep things clear we ask this as a requirement.
  • You are welcome to join in after January, but people starting in another month will not be counted for the first month they enter. For example, if you join in March and immediately have a list of 50+ species when most of these were seen in January and February, it'd be unfair to others that already saw the majority of their species in January, when the competition for "new" species was a lot higher.
  • You do not have to provide photographic evidence, your word is your bond. We trust our members won't lie about seeing things they didn't just to get a higher score.

Prizes:
  • On the first day of every month starting February 1st, I will be giving an overview of how many species of each category people have seen in total. I will also calculate how many species everyone gained compared to the previous month.
  • For every species you gained compared to the previous month, you will receive 5 pointies for use in the pointies store.
  • The person with the most species gained that month will receive a pointies animal.

Extra:
  • The double-posting rule will be less strict here than it is in other areas of the forum (as it's possible that you see something new before someone else has), but keep it sensible. Try not to post list updates twice in the same day if you see or identify another species later, it's easier to just edit your previous post.
  • Have fun!
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Anton
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King of Cotingas

Nice additions, keniafan! Not often you see a loon before a kestrel :P

Honestly all woodpecker species rank very highly for me! They're so unique. I think the favorite ones I've seen are black and pileated, their sheer size and their loud calls are so impressive!
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magpiealamode
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No good hero is a one-trick phony.

Burns
 
Yeah, if you could give North America it's warblers back so I could see them, that'd be great :P

Seconded. I'm pretty sure I've seen all of the wintering species in my neighborhood save for a few ones that have eluded me by chance or otherwise. I need to go actual birding somewhere.
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Posted Image Wes
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Anton
Jan 6 2018, 12:30 PM
Honestly all woodpecker species rank very highly for me! They're so unique. I think the favorite ones I've seen are black and pileated, their sheer size and their loud calls are so impressive!
Same! My favorite one is the black woodpecker, which I see quite often!
As my school is organizing a trip to Poland this summer, I hope to spot some new species like the grey-headed woodpecker!
Edited by Wes, Jan 6 2018, 12:45 PM.
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Anton
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King of Cotingas

I've only seen black woodpeckers once and from very far away, but I've heard them calling (well, let's be honest, screaming) a few times. I did get some really good views of Pileated when in Canada last year, however!

Keep your eyes open in Poland, as they have all 10 European woodpecker species, including really rare ones like three-toed and white-backed, and indeed ones we don't get like those two, grey-headed and Syrian... I believe in the right places wrynecks are also a lot more common there than they are in Belgium and The Netherlands!
Edited by Anton, Jan 6 2018, 05:17 PM.
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Jules
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Mihi est imperare orbi universo

Today I finally saw some new species. I'm still relevant

BIRDS
6) European Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
7) Common Blackbird (Turdus merula)
8) Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
9) Eurasian Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)
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Fireplume
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Snok Snok Snerson

49. Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
50. Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)
51. Merlin (Falco columbarius)
52. Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)
53. Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)

Just a few additions via passive birdwatching [aka, via car] :) The Merlin was incredible to see, just neat little birds.

Total List
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Posted Image Wes
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January 7

Birds:
25) Great cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo
26) Eurasian jay, Garrulus glandarius
27) Great egret, Ardea alba
28) Common kestrel, Falco tinnunculus
29) Comon buzzard, Buteo buteo
30) Mistle thrush, Turdus viscivorus
31) Great spotted woodpecker, Dendrocopos major
32) European goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis
33) Canada goose, Branta canadensis
34) Black-headed gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus[/i]
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cassynatorium
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I quadruple checked it and apparently my post from 6 january is invisible. Let me now if anyone does see it. :/

~6 january~

19- common buzzard, buteo buteo
20- grey heron, ardea cinerea
21- egyptian goose, alopochen aegyptiaca
22- common chaffinch, fringilla coelebs
23- mute swan, cygnus olor

~7 january~

24- eurasian jay, garrulus glandarius
25- european herring gull, larus argentatus
26- northern lapwing, vanellus vanellus
27- great black-backed gull, larus marinus
28- common kestrel, falco tinnunculus
29- meadow pipit, anthus pratensis

1- european hare, lepus europaeus
Edited by Anton, Jan 7 2018, 01:05 PM.
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Keniafan
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My last day of the vacation, meant the last day of birding for me at my parents place. Decided to go to the forest where I saw 2 new birds and 1 new mammal!

56 - Goldcrest (Regulus regulus)
57 - Eurasian nuthatch (Sitta europaea)

Mammals
3- Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus)
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Anton
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King of Cotingas

Just went to go see a group of red-crested pochards that have been seen in the neighbourhood. First lifer of the year! :D

BIRDS:
66) Song thrush, Turdus philomelos
67) Red-crested pochard, Netta rufina
68) Common redpoll, Acanthis flammea

Total
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caviar
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January 6, 2018

BIRDS

63 - Great Trush (Turdus fuscater )
64 - Rufous-collared Sparrow(Zonotrichia capensis)
65 - Sparkling Violetear (Colibri coruscans)

Back at bogota, i spotted the 3 most common birds in the city.

Not much and i probably won't get to see many birds in the near future.
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Anton
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King of Cotingas

cassynatorium
Jan 7 2018, 11:06 AM
I quadruple checked it and apparently my post from 6 january is invisible. Let me now if anyone does see it. :/

~6 january~

19- common buzzard, buteo buteo
20- grey heron, ardea cinerea
21- egyptian goose, alopochen aegyptiaca
22- common chaffinch, fringilla coelebs
23- mute swan, cygnus olor

~7 january~

24- eurasian jay, garrulus glandarius
25- european herring gull, larus argentatus
26- northern lapwing, vanellus vanellus
27- european hare, lepus europaeus
28- great black-backed gull, larus marinus
29- common kestrel, falco tinnunculus
30- meadow pipit, anthus pratensis
Separate your lists of birds and mammals in the furture, please! I fixed it in your post already. :D
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Priya
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Lion Lover

January 7th
I saw Today
Mammals
Indian Gaur along with Chital deer
Indian giant squrriel

Birds
Great Indian Hornbill
Great Cormorrant
White Ibis
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Anton
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King of Cotingas

Priya
Jan 7 2018, 01:16 PM
January 7th
I saw Today
Mammals
Indian Gaur along with Chital deer
Indian giant squrriel

Birds
Great Indian Hornbill
Great Cormorrant
White Ibis
Those are some very nice species! However, I'm thinking the "What wild animals did you see today?" topic would be a better place to post them.

This topic is for people who list all of the species they see, and want to keep track of them. To make comparing etc. easier we request of people to always number their lists, and always add scientific names. (for example your white ibis - from range I expect you mean the black-headed ibis (T.melanocephalus), but for all I know it could also be crested ibis, American white ibis, Australian white ibis, sacred ibis...).
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Fireplume
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Snok Snok Snerson

Birds
54. Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)
55. Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
56. Common Poorwill (Phalaenoptilus nuttallii)
57. Great-horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)

Mammals
3. Black-tailed Jackrabbit (Lepus californicus)
4. Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis)
5. Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus)
6. Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii)

All of these were "collected" during an evening venture to my local wildlife refuge, specifically meant to find the mammals and owl but I'm pretty happy about the poorwill too! :D


Total List
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