This isn’t about earning membership to some exclusive club. It’s about understanding what the hell people are on about when they drop words like “lifer,” “dip,” or “bogey bird.” Once you start using them, you’ll find yourself laughing along, swapping stories, and maybe even sounding like you know what you’re doing.

So here it is: 30 birding terms to get you started, with examples you can actually use in every day life. If you're a bit of a seasoned birder you will most definitely know some of these, but we think there would be the odd one of two, that you may just learn from us today, so read on!

Also, pay attention, because through this volume of MBG, you'll find a quiz, to test your recall, besides, you'll need to sharpen this up as you become a full blown bird person.

Last thing, we also finish up with a few bird name acronyms too, you need to know some of these for a bit of birding cred! Lets go…..

Are you all

over it?

1. Lifer

A must… and we’ve know doubt you already know it, so we are off to a good start. This is the term used for a bird species seen (not heard sorry) for the first time in your life. So…… Now you know where we got “LYFER” from! They Y simply because we liked it! We thought it’s one of the best things to happen when out birding. Here it is in two sentences:

“I’m cold, saturated, hungry, tired, but I saw 5 lifers today, so it was completely worth it!”

“Did you see that birder wearing that cool Lyfer T-shirt?”

2. Tick

1. Marking a bird off your list.

"I’ve been trying to tick that species for years!"

3. Dip/Dip Out

To miss seeing a bird you went looking for.

"I dipped again on the Greater Bluebonnet at Goschen! Why bird gods why!!?”

4. Twitch

To travel to see a rare bird (often urgently).

“Did you twitch the American Golden Plover at Werribee Water Treatment Plant last year?”

5. Twitcher

A hardcore birder who chases rare sightings.

“If they’re having a big year, they’re a twitcher alright!”

6. Grip Off

When someone brags about a rare bird they see that you didn’t.

“I’m not trying to grip you off, but the Plains Wanderer literally snuck into my swag and stayed for the night!"

7. Bogey Bird

A species you’ve tried and failed to see multiple times.

“Yeah, the Turquoise Parrot is my bogey bird!”

8. Patch

A birder’s regular birding spot or local area.

“I check my local patch every weekend.”

9. Jizz (or Gizz)

The overall impression or vibe of a bird (shape, movement, etc.).

“Didn’t get a close look, but the jizz of the bird screamed White-naped Honeyeater.”

10. Crippler

A stunning bird that leaves you speechless.

“That Paradise Riflebird was a crippler, absolutely stunning.”

Quiz Time:

What term do we use when we dont see the bird we set out to find?

11. Mega / Mega-rarity

A very rare bird, often a national-level rarity.

“A mega turned up this morning, a Red Goshawk in Central Australia!”

12. Plastic

A bird that’s escaped from captivity (not truly wild).

“Yes, that Goudian Finch you saw in Melbourne was plastic.”

13. Trash Bird

We don’t like this one, but just so you know, it refers to a common bird that’s so abundant it’s often overlooked. Next time you hear someone say it, you know what to say. No bird is trash!

“Just been down to the lake, only saw trash birds down there.”

14. LBJ (Little Brown Job)

A small, hard-to-identify brown bird (e.g. finches, sparrows).

“All I could see in the scrub were LBJs darting around, impossible to pin down. Impossible to confirm what they were!.”

15. Skulker

1. A bird that stays low or hidden, difficult to see.

“You know what bird is a proper skulker, the Little Grassbird. Always heard, never seen, at least for me!”

16. Stringer

Someone with a reputation for reporting birds they probably didn’t see (questionable ID).

“Yeah, they’ve got a bit of a rep as a stringer, always claiming rarities no one else can confirm.”

17. Phantom Tick

A bird you thought you saw or ID’d, but later realise you didn’t.

“I thought I nailed a Pied Hornbill once, until I studied my photos, turned out to be a phantom tick. But got the Great Hornbill instead!”

18. Pishing

Making squeaky or shushing noises to attract curious birds.

“I tried a bit of pishing and suddenly the thornbills popped up to investigate.”

19. Fallout

When migrating birds are grounded in large numbers due to bad weather. “Fall-out Day” is famous for bird-watchers who are in New York City, and can go catch all the migrating birds who have just dropped into Central Park.

“After the storm, there was a fallout of migrants across the whole headland.”

20. Confiding

A bird that’s unusually tame or unbothered by human presence.

“That Eastern Yellow Robin was so confiding it hopped right up to my boots.”

Quiz Time:

What do you call that birder friend who often claims to see a particular bird but chances are they were wrong?

21. Scope

A spotting scope, or using one to scan for birds.

“Glad I brought the scope, that distant Whiskered Tern would’ve been impossible with bins alone.”

22. Patch Gold

A rare or unexpected bird found on your home turf.

“A Painted Snipe on my local wetland? That’s pure patch gold.”

23. Punk Bird

A bird with a messy or striking crest.
“That Yellow-vented Bulbul is a total punk bird!”

24. Showy

A bird that’s easy to see and photograph; the opposite of a skulker.

“That Rose Robin was so showy it practically posed for photos, if only I could work my new camera to get a decent shot!.”

25. Jammy

UK slang for being extremely lucky with a bird sighting. Ok this is a new one for us, hopefully we have got the reference right!

“She was jammy enough to spot the Regent Honeyeater five minutes after arriving, and in the car park!”

She was so

jammy!

26. Flyover

A bird flying overhead that doesn’t land but still counts for your list.

​​“Added Black-necked Stork to my list with a lucky flyover.”

27. Heard-Only

When you ID a bird by sound but don’t see it.

“The Spotted Pardalote was heard-only for me, sometimes it sounds like they are right next to me, but for the life of me I can’t spot them.”

28. Flushed

Flushed or scared a bird into flight (often unintentionally).
“Careful, I just flushed a quail into that bush there!”

29. Day List

All the birds you record in a single day.

“By sunset my day list hit 78 species, not bad for a quick circuit of the wetlands.”

30. Year List

All the birds you see in a calendar year.

“I finally added Gang-gang Cockatoo to my year list, bringing me up to 245.”

Quiz Time:

What do you call that bird that just doesnt

want you to identify it?

BIRD SPECIES ACRONYMS

Before we go, it’s also important to note that there are also many bird species acronyms to be aware of, as they can catch you out and it’s quite common to ask.. Wait, what is the BSK?

Here are a few to get you started:

OBP – Orange-bellied Parrot

GSP – Golden-shouldered Parrot

BTNH – Black-tailed Nativehen

BSK – Black-shouldered Kite

RNH – Regent Honeyeater

We are going to throw it out to you - if you know more - please share with us in the comments below and we will add them in!

Happy talking the “bird talk”! And remember, it’s always ok to ask if you don’t know, we all have to start somewhere.

Next up:

Coming soon

Vol. 07:

How to Use Binoculars Without Looking Like You’re in a Spy Movie