birding-aus

Why do birders create State lists?

To: Andy Burton <>
Subject: Why do birders create State lists?
From: Dave Torr <>
Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2009 16:07:31 +1100
If you are going to keep any lists (and some do and some don't) then state
lists are as (il)logical as country lists (or continent lists or any other
list you care to name). After all the boundaries of countries (which are the
commonest form of listing) are just as artificial in almost all cases as
state boundaries (Australia probably makes sense as a country, but then of
course should we include Christmas, Cocos, Heard etc etc)

2009/2/4 Andy Burton <>

>
> Laurie,
>
> Creating a list, any list, is a a great reinforcer for the memory and
> therefore an educational tool. I have learnt vast amounts about birds by
> keeping lists in the form of a database.
>
> And yes I have State lists. I also have nearly 2600 catchment lists as well
> as rudimentary bioregion lists.
>
> And paradoxically I have little idea how many species I have for each
> list..........its probably not important but easy to find out if I wish to..
>
> I might flippantly add that presumably State authorities maintain lists,
> perhaps partly sourced from birdwatchers.
>
> Regards, Andy
>
>
>
>
>  Being a geographer, I have an interest in regionalisations.  As a
>> birdwatcher, I also have an interest in bird observations and records.
>>
>> The question I have is why do birders bother creating State lists?  States
>> are colonial anachronisms.  Very few of their boundaries have any connection
>> to the affairs of birds.
>>
>> Do birders create State lists because they are brought up in cultural
>> straight-jackets or because the boundaries are clearly marked?  One of the
>> key problem for list aficionados is that there are only 8 States and
>> Territories to create lists for ...
>>
>> Why don't birders create Bioregion lists?  There are 85 recognised
>> bioregions in Australia, so there are potentially 10 times as many lists to
>> create.  What is more, bioregionalisation has far more relevance for birding
>> observations than State boundaries.  It doesn't matter much whether a
>> species breeds on one side of a border fence or the other.  It does matter,
>> however, if that species ceases to breed in a particular bioregion.
>>
>> It seems logical to me that we should connect our bird observations to the
>> environment in which we see them.  I would be interested to hear from
>> birders who have created bioregional lists ...
>>
>> Regards, Laurie.
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