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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