What is a Twitcher?

Frequently Asked Questions about Birding #3

What is a “twitcher”?

Someone who is prepared to travel great distances or go to great effort or expense in order to see birds, often just a single bird, that they have never seen before so that it can be marked on their list of birds seen (called a “tick” or “lifer”). The word ‘twitcher’ might have originated from their propensity to develop a nervous twitch until the rare or desired bird has been ticked off their list.

In Australia, probably the most famous “twitcher” is Sean Dooley who went on a twitch for a full year in an attempt to record the most species in Australia in a calendar year. His amazing exploits are celebrated in his book called “The Big Twitch.”

Yellow Plumed Honeyeater