Surfbirds Life and Year List Rankings
2004 World Year List
Showing Records 1 through 60 of 60 Total Records

Rank Name Nationality Total Highlights
1 Kim Risen USA 2817 12/31/04 - 12 visits to Mexico on a Mexico Big Year netted 874 species. Neotropical trips included Northern Ecuador, Southern Ecuador, and Bolivia. U.S. trips included Alaska, California, Arizona, Texas, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Wisconsin, Virginia, and North Carolina. Canadian Provinces of Alberta & British Columbia. Best time of the year was the 29 days spent birding in South Africa. With out a doubt the best birding year of my life!
2 Ian Sinclair 2753 southern Arica, Thailand, southern China, Tibet, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador/Galapagos, Argentine, Taiwan and finall Kenya.
3 Iain Campbell Australian resident in Ecuador 2710 End of year. Ecuador, Brazil, USA, Ethiopia, a rainy day in England, Thailand, Australia, Madagascar and a day with Clare Moger in Slovakia. For me the best lifers for the year were the Rufous-headed Ground-Roller and the Giant Antshrike. I also met some really cool birders this year including the rough dude who pipped me at the post this year.
4 Jonathan Rossouw South African 2497 Final Tally for 2004. Highlights: 200 plus N Bald Ibis at sea cliff roost site and 100 plus Thick-billed Larks in Morocco; eye-level scope views of Congo Serpent-Eagle in Ghana; digiscoped Magellanic Plover and Woodie in Patagonia; nesting Swallow-tailed Cotinga in Brazil; Mongolian Ground-Jay in Mongolia; Whiskered Auklet, McKay’s Bunting, white-phase Gyrfalcons, the eider sweep, and shorebirds nesting in the Arctic tundra in Alaska; Cinnamon-rumped Trogon and a fruiting fig with a procession of frugivores incl 6 spp hornbill and huge male Orangutan, in Borneo; Philippine Eagle, Palawan Peacock-pheasant, Wattled Broadbill, Flame-breasted Fruit-Dove, Luzon Bleeding-heart, Green-faced Parrotfinch and nesting Whiskered Pitta in the Philippines; Hooded Grebes, Austral Rail and seedsnipe sweep in Patagonia; seabird extravaganza on Falklands, S Georgia and Antarctic Peninsula.
5 Mark Van Beirs Belgian 2492 31/12: Fairly busy year with several trips to Brazil with too many highlights like Banded Antbird and Rufous-sided Pygmy-Tyrant , Jamaica, the Dominican Republic & Puerto Rico, Ecuador with many stupendous goodies, fabulous Mongolia with awesome Black-billed Capercaillie, the Lesser Sundas with Sumba Buttonquail and Flores Monarch, Polynesia with the adorable Tuamotu Sandpiper, Taiwan with its great endemics and Uganda with Brown-chested Plover and Dusky Twinspot. Added to that some leisurely birding in Spain, France, Belgium and Holland.
6 Nick Athanas USA, resident in Ecuador 2206 Ecuador, ne USA, Brazil, Peru, Ethiopia, UK, Panama. Highlights: 230 lifers in Brazil including Brazilian Merganser, Three-toed Jacamar, White-bearded Antshrike, Hyacinth Macaw, Bare-faced Curassow, & Shrike-like Cotinga; Gray-tailed Piha on New Year's Day; point-blank views of Jocotoco Antpitta; an astounding Long-wattled Umbrellabird; a male Esmeraldas Woodstar; Greater Scythebill; most of the Ethiopian endemics; 25 spp of wood-warblers in a day at Crane Creek Ohio; Black-crowned Antpitta and Tody Motmot in Panama.
7 Keith Barnes South African 2139 Cameroon, Gabon, Sao Tome & Principe (including Picathartes, Mt Kupe Bush Shrike and all STP endemics including the near-mythical ST Grosbeak), South Africa, SE Brazil (with Nick Athanas & Iain Campell), USA, Madagascar (for 3 tours), Taiwan, India & Borneo
8 Pete Morris British 2038 Subantarctic Islands produced a host of goodies such as Subantarctic Snipe, Shore Plover and Royal Penguin. Venezuela (just three days in Henri Pittoer before the New Year) added Lined Quail Dove, Fasciated Tiger Heron, Black-backed Antshrike and many more!
9 Paul Coopmans Belgian res in Ecuador 1992 Updated 5 December; This year’s birding has been in Ecuador (highlights including Cattle Tyrant near Coca, Mourning Warbler on Napo river island; isolated cyperati ssp of Clapper Rail, Brown Wood-Rail in Esmeraldas, Citron-bellied Attila at Napo Wildlife Center, Rufous Potoo and Tschudi's Woodcreeper at Gareno Lodge, Andean Potoo calling in the Cordillera de Guacamayos, White-bellied Woodstar at my feeder, Hoary Puffleg mobbing Cloudforest Pygmy-Owl in the Mindo Cloudforest Reserve, Surfbird at Salinas, Long-wattled Umbrellabird at its lek at Buenaventura), Peru (Peruvian Seaside Cinclodes; Andean Lapwing at sea level north of Lima; Thryothorus sp. nov. in Mantaro Valley; Rufous-breasted Warbling-Finch and Bronze-tailed Comet above Lima), Venezuela (best were Plain-flanked Rail and Grey-legged Tinamou), Costa Rica (superb displaying male Bare-necked Umbrellabird), Honduras (highlights were Singing Quail, Honduran Emerald and Lovely Cotinga), Hawaii (Akiapola'au, Akohekohe and Newell's Shearwater), Maryland and Delaware (a day’s out with lots of waders and other stuff), W Europe (a bit of laid back birding in Belgium and northeastern Spain)
10 John Hopkins U.K. 1620 Up to 31/12/2004...Best birds were Black bee-eater in Uganda, Purple Martin on Lewis, 3 new swifts in Ghana ( Black and Cassins Spinetails and Bates swift...i'm a Swift fanatic )....oh, and mega close views of Tiger from an elephant in Bandhavgarh,
11 Keith Betton British 1610 Kenya, Morocco, Ecuador, Finland, Florida, Colorado, Texas, Spain, France, UK - updated 24/12/04
12 Dollyann Myers USA 1607
13 Samuel Hansson Swedish 1586 Sweden, Colombia, Brazil/Peru (Río Javarí only), Kenya and South Africa. Multicolored Tanager, Fuertes´s Parrot and many, many more.
14 Vaughan Ashby English 1550 Although 2004 won't be as good as 2003, I am entering my list for completeness! So far this year Goa, Bharatpur, all the endemics in Jamaica, Spain, Kazakhstan, Colorado & Wyoming, Kenya, Scilly, Gambia and Ghana with Pel's Fishing-owl & Frasers Eagle-owl. Last updated 31/12/2004
15 János Oláh Jr. Hungarian 1407 updated on the 23rd of November. Ethiopia, Jordan, Australia, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary
16 Jim Holmes, Jr. USA 1344 trips to Antarctica, South Africa, Peru, Mexico, and Belize seeing such birds as Taxzanowski's Tinamou, Agami Heron, Jabiru, Bald Ibis, Andean Condor, Lammergeier, Orange-breasted Falcon, Taita Falcon, Delergoruge's Pigeon, Cape Parrot, Amazonian Parrotlet, Keel-billed Motmot, Scarlet-hooded Barbet, African Broadbill, Royal Cinclodes, Rufous-fronted Antthrush, Rudd's Lark, Botha's Lark, Spotted Ground-Thrush, Neergaard's Sunbird, and the Cozumel endemics
17 Jose Illanes Ecuadorian (Quichua) 1342 Ecuador ,Thailand and Netherland.With wonderful views the Black -tail Crake, Pygmy Wren Babbler,Green -tailed Sunbird in Doi Inthanon NP, Blue Pitta, Black-and yellow Broadbill,Orange breasted Trogon,Collared Falconet,Grey Peacock-Pheasant in Kaeng Krachan NP and also Coral -billed Malkoha, Great,Wreathed Hornbill, Eared Pitta,Banded Kingfisher,Red Junglefowl in Khao Yai NP . But in Netherlan with great birds like White-tail Eagle , Leach´s,Storm-petrel,and artic, Long -tailed,Great and pomarine Skua´s, now in Ecuador.
18 Göran Frisk Swedish 1305 Sweden, Ecuador, Vietnam, Thailand, Portugal. Brasilien, Argentina. Hooded Grebe, Magellanic Diving Petrel, Ashy-, Ruddy-headed Goose, Flightless Steamer Duck, Chubut Steamer Duck, Austral Rail, Magellanic Plover, Sheatbill, Rufouslegged Owl, MAgellanic Woodpecker, Sandy Galito, Yellow Cardinal,Grey-flanked Cinclodes. Pine Grosbeak.Species nr 1000: Ural Owl, 2004 12 12
19 Alex Lees British 1262 India, Tenerife, Spain, UK, USA (CA), Brasil (PhD fieldwork MT, 4 mths), Slovenia, Egypt: Indian Bustard, Spanish Imperial Eagle, Hyacinth Macaw, Agami Heron, "Snethlage´s" Gnateater, Indian Blue Robin, Banded Antbird, Rufous-bellied Eagle, Grey-breasted Crake, Amazonian, Thrush-like & Spotted Antpittas, Indian Pitta, Sri Lankan Frogmouth, Pale Rosefinch, Caspian & Mountain Plovers, Dupont's Lark, Blue Chaffinch, White-tailed Laurel-pigeon, Sprague's Pipit, White-billed Divers, 10 tinamous, 53 antbirds, 22 woodcreepers, Three-toed Woodpecker, Hoopoe Lark. Cryptic Forest-falcon, Wallcreeper, etc. finding Citrine Wagtail, YBW, RBS & RBF in the UK, latest White-breasted Kingfisher (24/12)
20 Dave Sargeant British 1232 Last Upd: 17-Dec-2004: Visited: Oman, India, Japan, Sri Lanka, Peru
21 Bradley Davis Canadian 1202 updated 31 Dec - Canada, Brasil, Ecuador, Mexico, a day in USA, non-birding visits Portugal and Tunisia.
22 Peter Kaestner USA 1188 Dec 17, Little and Mediterranean Gulls, Alexandria, Egypt
23 Claes-Göran Cederlund Swedish 1151 Sweden,Brazil,Cambodia,Solomon Is. ,Oman,Bahrein. Ivory Gull in Sweden! Upd. 25 Dec.
24 Nigel Driver British 1146 Sri Lanka endemics, Santa Marta Colombia endemics and a superb selection in Sulawesi and Halmahera
25 Stuart White USA 1143 USA (including Hawaii), Chile, Argentina, Antarctica, South Georgia, Falkland Is., United Kingdom, Ecuador, Costa Rica. HIGHLIGHTS: Andean Condors in Chile & Ecuador and Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant in Ecuador (the large and small of it); in-hand South Georgia and Common Diving-Petrels off So. Georgia; a Red-breasted Goose in Scotland(!); Scarlet Macaws in Costa Rica and Mountain Parakeets in the Chilean Andes; 62 species of hummingbirds, from Olive-spotted (an "island endemic") on the Rio Napo River in Ecuador to Volcano Hummingbirds atop Cerro de la Muerte in Costa Rica; a nose-to-bill encounter with a Band-tailed Barbthroat which inspected me in Costa Rica; all three races of Elepaio on the Big Island of Hawaii.
26 Martin Edwards Canadian 1140 Fernbird,Mottled Petrel,Erect-crested Penguin,Royal PenguinRoviana Rail,Shade Warbler,White-eyed Starling,Red-naped Fruit-Dove,Sumba Hornbill, Timor Oriole,Apricot-breasted Sunbird, Lesser Sundas July 2004
27 Andrew Self Terran 1117 a very successful trip to Ethiopia including endemics such as Spot-breasted Plover
28 Ashley Banwell English 1100 Bald Parrot, Spotted Antpitta, Pale faced Antbird, White breasted Antbird, Purple breasted Cotinga, Capuchinbird,White tailed Cotinga, Hawaii, Uganda, UK
29 Mike Haldeman USA 1081 Mostly US, also led trips to Brazil, Belize, Trinidad & Tobago.
30 Phil Beaver English 1064 UK, Peru,Bulgaria, S/E Brazil & S India
31 Andrew Davis Canada 1034 Canada, USA, Ecuador, Brasil, and Mexico - updated Dec 31.
32 Clare Moger British living in Slovakia 1032 Ecuador, Ethiopia, Madagascar and local birding around Bratislava, Slovakia. Highlights: Ruspoli's Turaco, Harwood's Francolin, Rusty-belted Tapaculo, Striped Manakin, Barred Antthrush, all the Ground-Rollers and Asities. Updated 06/12/04
33 John Martin British 1022 Thailand, Aus, NZ (briefly) and California (even more briefly) then UK April onwards. Blue Pitta, Coral-billed Ground-cuckoo, Giant Nuthatch, Spoon-billed Sand, Plains-wanderer, Blue-faced parrot-finch, Tahiti Petrel, Cassowary, Kokako, Allen's hummer, Thayer's Gull...
34 Bob Stinger English 1012 End of a Sri Lankan trip, a few days in India,UAE ,UK,Argentina,Fuer'tura,Peru
35 Mike Edgecombe British 910 Whiskered Pitta, Celestial Monarch, Isabela Oriole, Green faced Parrotfinch, Luzon. 604 species in Kenya, Nutcracker, Alpine accentor, Citril Finch, and EurasianSnowfinch.Italian Alps, Ural,Pygmy,hawk Tengmalms Owls. Three toed Woodpecker, Sib jay and Sib Tit Finland June 04.
36 Jan Stinger English 775 Sri lanka,India ,UAE,UK,Argentina,Fuerteventura 26/12
37 Justin Jansen Holland 761 2/1/05 Highlights: Olive White-eye, Mauritius Kestrel, Barraeus Petrel, Banded Kestrel, Berniers Teal, Ivory Gull (sweden), Bald Ibis, Desert Sparrow, Desert warbler, Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Coral-billed Ground-cuckoo, Normanns Greenshank, Siberian Thrush, Lanceolated Warbler, Thick-billed Warbler, Red-flanked Bluetail, Giant Nuthatch, Black-faced Spoonbill, Greater Yellowlegs, Ross Gull, Western Black-eared Wheatear, Bufflehead, Pine Grosbeak (Holland). Travelled mauritius, reunion, Thailand, Madagascar, Britain, Sweden, Morocco and off course home based Holland!
38 Peter Bijlmakers Dutch 759 Netherlands, Burkina Faso, Ghana and USA trip.
39 Per Smith Danish 754 Costa Rica, Turkey and Denmark. Snowcap and wallcreepers in wow
40 Julian Thomas British 751 South Africa, Sri Lanka and Britain. Some great birds and a personal best year total. Favourite bird of the year: male Pied Thrush, Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka. Lovely people there - they don't deserve what's just happened to them.
41 Yong Ding Li Singapore 728 3 Cochoas, 30 Woodpeckers, 7 forktails, 9 partridges , from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, India
42 Hans Westerlaken Dutch 725 pine grosbeak and ross's gull in the Netherlands chestnut-breasted wren;tanager finch;mystery owl at San Isidro, Ecuador; mountain avocetbill and 53 other species of hummers
43 Karl Overman US 679 Nov 11--King Eider Port Huron, Michigan
44 Georges Olioso French 662 9 days in Costa Rica
45 Rob Batchelder USA (resident in Argentina) 648 Argentina, Virginia, Dominican Republic, Colorado, Hawaii, Michigan, Ontario, Chile, Antarctica. Birds of the year: Adelie and Chinstrap Penguins, 5 Albatrosses, Townsend's Shearwater, Andean and Puna Flamingos, White-throated Caracara, Pale-crested and Blond-crested Woodpeckers, 6 Cinclodes (incl. Olrog's and Comechingones), Straight-billed Reedhaunter, Moustached Turca, Band-tailed Manakin, Sharp-tailed and Long-tailed Tyrants, Bearded Tachuri, Rufous-throated Dipper, Kirtland's Warbler. Updated 5-Jan-05
46 Jenny Norman South African 606 Only in South Africa
47 Lennaert Steen Dutch 594 Layard's Parakeet, White-bellied Seaeagle in Sri lanka. Crowned Hawk-Eagle, Secretarybird in Kenia. Greater Yellowlegs, Marbled duck, Franklins Gull, Pine Grosbeak, Ross' Gull, Dartford Warbler in the Netherlands
48 Nick Upton British 589 Long Billed Dowitcher
49 Brian Allen Michigan, USA 580 Panama, Darien, a few days in California plus the usual Michigan
50 Vincent van der Spek Dutch 575 Coral-billed Ground-Cuckoo, Gurneys' and Banded Pitta, Siamese Fireback, Christmas Island Frigatebird and Nordmann's Greenshank in Thailand, Citrine Wag nest in Poland, Roseate Tern and Cory's in Ireland, Bairds in England, Tristram's Warbler and CCC in Tunesia and Pine Grosbeak and Ross' Gull in Holland
51 Chris Fagyal USA 529 12/28 - All 3 Rosy-Finches, Red Crossbill, White-tailed Ptarmigan, Barrows Goldeneye
52 Ron Hoff USA 528 PNG and New Caledonia 2004
53 Mario Renden Dutch 510 Greater Yellowlegs (Netherlands),Gurney's Pitta, White-fronted Scops-Owl, Pintailed Parrotfinch, Rock Partridge, Christmas Island Frigatebird, Banded Pitta, Brown Hornbill, update: 21-9-2004
54 Paul Freeman Australian 504 White-browed Crake
55 Stefan Sandberg Swedish 500 Dwarf Bittern
56 Steve Starling British 420 Spain in May - Spanish Imp Eagle, Great Bustard, etc. US in Mar/Apr to see friends added 84 to the year.
57 Lauren Calderaro USA 376 Atlantic puffin - Heimaey, Iceland
58 Ies goedbloed Dutch 360 last updated 04-10(the Netherlands, Bosnia, Croatia, Italy, Greece, Albania, Macedonia, Turkey and India).WHITE'S TRUSH, Greenish Warbler,GREATER YELLOWLEGS, STILT SANDPIPER, Lesser Yellow legs, Terek sandpiper, Iberian chiffchaf, Surf scoter,American golden plover, Long billed dowitcher, 2500 Common Cranes at Lac du Der Chantecoq. And more than 70 lifers in India and a few in Turkey (including Masked shrike, Imperial Eagle)
59 Golo Maurer German 358 Pheasant Coucal, Red Goshawk, White-browed Scrubwren, Black-faced Spoonbill, European Robin, Roseate Tern

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