Nothing ruffles feathers more in the birding world than twitching. The term itself is contentious, and while “twitcher” and “bird watcher” (or “birder”) are often used interchangeably, particularly in the media or by those with a low opinion of people who enjoy watching birds, the word “twitcher” has a very specific meaning.
A twitcher is someone who goes to extraordinary lengths to see new bird species. While most bird watchers are content to spot birds in their local patch or whatever they encounter while out in the field or on their travels, twitchers actively hunt down rare or elusive birds, often to tick them off on their life list.
For some twitchers, their pursuit turns into an all-consuming obsession akin to competing in an Olympic sport. It can involve extensive travel, constant monitoring of birding hotspots, rare bird alerts, apps, and websites, and networking with fellow twitchers. In extreme cases, twitchers have even been known to charter aeroplanes to track down a target species.
Hardcore twitching can come at a cost – not just financially but emotionally. It can strain friendships, ruin marriages, jeopardise jobs, and drain bank accounts, all in the name of spotting that one elusive bird.
The term “twitcher” originated in the 1950s and was inspired by the nervous behaviour of British birdwatcher Howard Medhurst. On birdwatching trips, one of Medhurst’s friends would give him a lift on the back of his motorbike. Upon arriving at their destination, Medhurst would dismount and “shiveringly light up a cigarette”, as his friends described it. This nervous behaviour became an standing joke among the group. When they went out to see a specific bird, they would mimic Medhurst’s mannerisms, acting out a nervous twitch. Over time, they began calling such trips to spot a rare bird “being on a twitch”.
The phrase quickly spread through the birding community, but by the late 1960s, “twitcher” had already taken on a slightly derogatory tone.
Before this, enthusiastic birdwatchers were referred to as pot-hunters, tally-hunters, or tick-hunters. In the United States, the term “chaser” is sometimes used as an equivalent to “twitcher”.
The main difference between twitchers and bird watchers lies in their approach to birding. Twitchers are far more active and goal-oriented, travelling specifically to spot new or rare bird species, while bird watchers tend to take a more relaxed, passive approach, enjoying any birds they happen to encounter.
Twitchers don’t necessarily spend more time bird watching than other birders, but they are driven by the pursuit of life lists, detailed records of every species they’ve seen. Their focus is on adding new “ticks” (see the glossary on twitching vocabulary below) to these lists, and many are in friendly or fierce competition to either complete their lists or amass the longest one.
Unfortunately, twitchers have garnered a bad reputation, which is why many bird watchers dislike being associated with the term. Twitchers have occasionally been criticised for disturbing rare birds, damaging nature reserves, and generating excessive carbon footprints as they chase sightings across the globe, actions that conflict with the environmental respect many birdwatchers uphold.
Twitching is particularly popular in countries like the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark, Ireland, Sweden, and Finland, where smaller land areas make it relatively easy to travel quickly between birding hotspots. In the UK, twitches can draw significant crowds and even attract media coverage.
For example, in May of last year, twitchers flocked to Whitburn, near Sunderland to catch a glimpse of an indigo bunting during a brief visit. In November, a scarlet tanager drew crowds of bird watchers to a quiet street in Shelf, near Halifax, North Yorkshire.
However, twitching has also courted controversy. In 2021, during the Covid-19 lockdown, several twitchers travelled to Exmouth to spot a Northern mockingbird in a residential garden and were fined for breaching restrictions.
If you’ve ever tried to talk to a twitcher you may have a hard time understanding what they’re on about. They have their own vocabulary made up of jargon, slang, and abbreviations. Some of the more common terms are listed below:
Big Day – a birding event when birders try and see as many species as possible in a single day
Big Year – a birding event when birds try and see as many species as possible in a year
Burn out – to have done so much bird watching there is no pleasure in continuing
Burn up – to beat around in the undergrowth hoping to flush out a bird
BVD – Better View Desired. Identifying a lifer but not seeing enough of it to enjoy it
CBC – Christmas Bird Count
CFW – Confusing Fall Warbler. A warbler in non-breeding plumage that has few distinguishing marks
Chooks – Australian term meaning common birds
Crippler – a rare and spectacular brilliant bird
Crush – American term meaning to get very high-quality photos of a bird
Dip – to miss seeing a bird which you were looking for
Dude – a novice birdwatcher
Empid – any of the flycatchers of genus Empidonax, which are hard to identify without hearing their songs
Fallout – natural occurrence where bad weather forces migratory birds to land
First – the first record of a species
Grip – to see a bird which another twitcher missed and to tell them you’ve seen it
Hammer – to take a high-quality photo of a bird
Jizz – the overall impression given by the general shape, movement or behaviour of a bird
LBJ – Little Brown Job. Drab songbirds that are hard to identify
Lifer – the first-ever sighting of a bird species by an observer
List – a list of all bird species seen
Mega or Megatick – a very rare bird
Plastic – a bird that has escaped from captivity rather than a truly wild bird
Sibe – a bird from Siberia
Tick – the addition of a bird species to a life list
Yank – a bird from North America
Answer these 10 questions to find out whether you’re a twitcher.
1. Your field bag is packed and ready by the front door, so you can dash out at a moment’s notice if a rare bird alert comes through.
2. Every time your phone buzzes, your heart races, in case it’s a notification from BirdGuides.
3. You’ve called in sick to work just to hop on a train and chase down a bird reportedly spotted on the other side of the country.
4. You’ve happily paid £25 to set up a spotting scope in someone’s garden that’s playing host to a rare vagrant.
5. Your life list is meticulously maintained in an Excel spreadsheet, complete with multiple backups – just in case.
6. You’ve spent hours standing in pouring rain, patiently waiting for a bird to make an appearance.
7. You’ve deliberately given someone incorrect directions to a rare bird’s location, knowing they’re one bird ahead of you on their life list.
8. You’ve intentionally scared off a rare bird so others nearby wouldn’t get the chance to see it.
9. You don’t understand why anyone would enjoy watching blue tits, robins, blackbirds, or goldfinches. These are birds you can see every day. They’re boring.
10. You get cross whenever new bird species are discovered or existing species are split into new ones, as the goal of completing your life list drifts even further out of reach.
1-3 do you even like birds?
It seems like you’re more of a casual observer, and that’s ok dude. You just haven’t caught the bird watching bug yet.
4-7 you’re a keen birder
You definitely have an interest in birds, and your dedication is clear. You’re not quite at “twitcher” levels yet, but it’s only a matter of time.
8-10 you’re a twitcher
Congratulations (or should that be condolences?) – you’re a full-blown twitcher! Chasing rare birds, standing in the rain, and obsessing over life lists are all part of your birding DNA.
6 Responses
Saw a painted bunting near Oswestry this morning up at the old racecourse. Vivid red, yellow, green and dark blue head.petet
I am fortunate to have two (or sometime 3) pairs of buntings visit my backyard feeders every year. I love to watch them take a bath in the birdbath because they “bulk up” and you can really see them. Travel with the cardinals. Watching them is a gift!
Spotted a beautiful gyr falcon in the Black Isle a few weeks
Ago.Are they known to be in Scotland?
Albino blackbird is resident in my garden seen it every day for the last month.
thanks for this explanation!
i mixed up twitter and twitcher as regards to birds’ sounds!
Often I wonder whether wild birds are be fed in Winter..
Little egret spotted in Burbage, Leicestershire, 11/02/2022. Just off Featherstone Park, near Boyslade Rd, public area by the brook adjacent to Dr’s surgery. Unfortunately, it was disturbed before a photograph could be taken. Certainly a first spot of the species locally for us.