At the start of last year, I shared a blog post of my birding highlights from 2023, a year that stood out as my best yet. I recorded 21 more species than the year before, including 36 species I had never seen previously. I noted that this was likely due to two main factors: dedicating more time to exploring local patches and taking a few trips to new destinations. Looking back on 2024, however, it’s clear that the latter - traveling to new places - truly underscores just how much bird diversity there is to offer.
Across 2024, I saw 359 species, almost doubling the number I saw the previous year and adding a whopping 161 lifers. Over the past few years, I haven’t travelled internationally all that much, but in 2024 I had the opportunity to visit Italy, Switzerland, France, Greece, Canada and the US (as well as visiting Scilly in the spring and autumn alongside my usual summer trip). These trips, particularly to north-east America, were the driving force behind my bird numbers. The dramatic increase in my bird life list highlights the importance of evolutionary history and species divergence in shaping global avian diversity. Travelling across the Atlantic to North America, for example, introduced me to species that have evolved independently from those in Europe due to millions of years of geographic separation. Each region has its unique assemblage of birds, shaped by distinct habitats, climates and evolutionary paths, which makes exploring new areas such a rewarding experience for birders. It was hard to whittle down all my birding experience from this year into a Top 10, but I have done my best based on the initial excitement I had in the moment. It’s striking just how much travel has influenced this list – while last year’s highlights were all from the UK, this year half of my Top 10 occurred abroad. It’s a testament to how transformative exploring new areas can be for birding! Top 10 2024 bird moments:
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Dr. Joe WoodmanA blog of my ideas, photography and research of the natural world. Archives
December 2024
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