Surfbirds Life and Year List Rankings
2005 World Year List
Showing Records 1 through 47 of 47 Total Records

Rank Name Nationality Total Highlights
1 Jonathan Rossouw South African 3024 31 December. Final trip through Kalahari to Kruger NP to crack the big 3000, with 3000th species being Lilac-breasted Roller; Birding Big Day with my mates from Rockjumper Birding Tours; Congo River Martin, Black-headed and Rosy bee-eaters (for the world bee-eater sweep), White-crested Tiger-Heron and Loango Weaver in Loango NP, Gabon; nesting Buff-throated Purpletuft, Hooded Berryeater, Swallow-tailed Cotinga, Slaty Bristlefront, Fork-tailed Tody-tyrant etc in SE Brazil; Plainswanderer, nesting Regent Honeyeater, Mallee Emuwren etc in SE Oz; unbeLIEvable 2 hours with male Wilson's Bird of Paradise, Crowned-Pigeon Hat-trick, male Fire-maned and Flame Bowerbirds in New Guinea; Barred Eagle-Owl and Chestnut-necklaced Partridge, Danum Valley, Borneo; Purus Jacamar & White-browed Hawk at Manu Wildlife Centre, Peru; Black-chested Tyrant in Venezuela, Trinidad Piping-guan at Grande Riviere; Sociable Lapwing & Baikal Teal, as well as displaying Bengal Florican, Greater Adjutant, and 18 Tigers in India; 5 spp potoo, scoped male Pompadour and Purple-breasted cotingas, Crimson Topaz, Black-faced Hawk in Guyana
2 Jose Illanes Ecuadorian 2197 Ecuador , including some goodies like: Giant Antpitta, Yasuni Antwren, Striolated Puffbird, Wing-banded Wren, Buff-throated Tody-Tyrant, Greater Scythebill, Bicoloured Antvireo,Jocotoco ,Watkins's Antpitta and the Long wattled Ambrellabird., plus South East Brasil (Grey-winged Cotinga,Solitary Tinamou, Rusty-winged Spadebill,Spot-breasted Antpitta,Buff-throated Purpletuft),and Black Solitaire,plus UK,S.Africa and Peru been seen a lot of good birds around.Plus Venezuela been birding couple months been seen wonderfull birds like Scaloped- breasted Antpitta Spotted as well, Crimson Topaz, Blue-backed tanager, and Harpy Eagle,and others.
3 Nick Athanas USA 2121 A bit of a Neotropical "big year" with roughly 5 months in Ecuador, 3.5 months in Brazil, 1.5 months in Peru, 4 weeks in Venezuela, 4 weeks in Costa Rica, and a few days in Colombia and Bolivia. Some highlights are all of the Neotropical eagles, 22 antpittas actually seen, 120+ antbirds, 180+ hummers.
4 Dave Klauber USA 2101 1988 seen + 113 heard: Ended 2005 and started 2006 in Panama. 2005 was probably my best birding year ever. South Africa and Madagascar - Helmet Vanga! Also SE Brazil - Minas, Ecuador & USA Highlights 13 seen antpittas including Giant, Jocotoco, Crescent-faced; Chestnut-bellied & Black-necked Red Cotingas, Long Wattled Umbrellabird, lots more; Great Gray & Boreal Owls in New York; Murphy's, Bermuda, & Fea's Petrel, Gunnison Sage Grouse, Brazilian Merganser Jan 12
5 John Hopkins British 1903 So many great birds, but best were the stunning Hawk Owl in Sweden in January , La Selle's Thrush in the Dominican Republic ( needed a 2am start for this one ! ) and Black Sicklebill in PNG in September ( my 5000th world bird ).
6 Pete Morris/Birdquest English 1810 Finished the year with some enjoyable gull watching in the UK with both Iceland and Caspian Gulls. Just back from Madagascar where we scored just about all available endemics! Great tour to Sulawesi and Halmahera in September - 7spp of Accipiter, Geomalia, Satanic Nightjar, 11 kingfishers etc. Fantastic time in Uganda in July where highlights included an amazing GREEN-BREASTED PITTA!! Also African Green Broadbill at the nest, Jameson's Antpecker etc etc. Had a brilliant tour to Japan - two lifers, Japanese Scops Owl and Styan's Grasshopper Warbler plus 30 Okinawa Rails, 5 Amami Woodcocks, Grey Bunting, Copper Pheasant, Siberian Thrush and just about all gettable goodies! Began the year in Venezuela where a few highlights on our Easybird tour included Zigzag and Agami Herons, Cream-coloured Woodpecker, Red-banded Fruiteater, Rose-collared Piha, White and Bearded Bellbirds, Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock, Harpy Eagle and Black-faced Hawk to name just a few. Japan in Winter yielded all the hoped for species plus extras including Long-billed Murrelet and Red-billed Starling. Just back from a great trip to Southern Cameroon. Many highlights as all the hoped for endemics seen. Other than those, Red-headed Picathartes obviously stands out, as do the cracking views of Black Guineafowl, spotlight views of Buff-spotted Flufftail down to a few metres and Long-tailed Hawk
7 Paul Passant Brit (res in Switzerland) 1803 First ever entry. Highlights Uganda( July Birdquest: Green-Breasted Pitta ); Halmahera and Sulawesi (Sept. Birdquest:Geomalia,Wallace's Standardwing,having started year with Emperor Penguins in rare opportunity to get into Weddell Sea.Also birded S.America, Cen America ,Sri Lanka, Malawi,Borneo and Co. Durham , where among my first ever common Brit birds, I saw the Amur Wagtail on a mini twitch to Seaham in April !
8 Petri Hottola Finnish 1713 Finland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Brazil (Rio, Sao Paulo, Parana, Santa Caterina, Mato Grosso do Sul), Ecuador, Thailand + to S Mexico in December. (2004 total was 1558).
9 János Oláh Jr. Hungarian 1688 Bird of the year: cannot decide between JOCOTOCO ANTPITTA and SCHNEIDER'S PITTA! Ethiopia in November (23 endemics plus rarities like Black-winged Pratincole); Sumatra and Java in July (Schneider's and Graceful Pitta, Marbled Wren-Babbler, 5 species of frogmouth, Bay Owl, White-winged Duck, Javan Cochoa etc.); Borneo in March (Giant and Blue-banded Pitta, Whiteheads and Hose's Broadbill, Bornean Ground-Cuckoo, Fruithunter etc.; Ecuador in February (18 species of Antpitta including Giant, Jocotoco, Bicolored, Crescent-faced, Moustached, Rusty-breasted etc. and Pale-headed Brush-Finch, Lanceolated Monklet, Long-wattled Umbrellabird, Purplish-mantled Tanager, Tawny-breasted Tinamou, Barred Antthrush etc.)
10 Skip & Lyn Nelson Independent 1584 12-16-05 Back home after a very successful birding trip to Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. Playa de Oro in Ecuador was outstanding with 14 species of Antbirds seen extremely well without any recordings or playback.
11 Paul Coopmans Belgian resident in Ecuador 1539 mainly Ecuador and Venezuela
12 Keith Betton British 1471 2005 trips: Ecuador (Jan - 2 weeks), Galapagos Islands (Jan - 1 week), Thailand (Feb - 2 days), Spain (Apr - 4 days), Kazakhstan (May - 7 days), Iceland (May - 4 days), Malaysia (June - 3 days), Morocco (June - 3 days), Uganda (July - 19 days), Sicily (Sept - 2 days), Morocco (Nov - 2 days), Sri Lanka (Dec - 3 days), Maldives (Dec - 5 days)
13 Claes-Göran Cederlund Swedish 1456 Upd. 12 Nov. Sweden,India,Cuba,Japan,Australia,Brazil.Grey-winged Cotinga,Black-backed Tanager, Plains-Wanderer,Letter-winged Kite,Regent Honeyeater,Amami Woodcock,Okinawa Rail,Malayan Night-Heron,Slaty-legged Crake,Styan´s Grasshopper Warbler. All gettable endemics in Cuba + Lesser Black-backed Gull.Beautiful Nuthatch,White-winged Duck,Tawny-breasted Wren-Babbler,Black-breasted Parrotbill
14 Jonathan Newman British 1397 Peru: Blue-headed Macaw, Amazonian Parrotlet, Tiny Hawk, Tanager Sp. Nov., Red and White AntPitta, Rufous-fronted AntThrush, White-throated Jacamar, Rufous-headed Woodpecker, Peruvian Recurvebill; Philippines: Luzon Jungle Fly, Steere's Pitta, Falcated Ground Babbler, Phil Eagle etc; Mexico: Red-crowned and Yellow-headed Amazon, Crimson-collared Grosbeak, Long-tailed Wood-Partridge, Worthen's Sparrow, Sierra Madre Sparrow.
15 Iain Campbell I forgot 1273 I nailed a load of year birds and lifers in Arizona at the ABA convention. Not too bad for a work day.
16 Philip W. Johnson USA 1243 A month in Colombia including the endemics of Santa Marta! Also visited Brazil, Thailand, and Peru.
17 Remco Hofland Dutch 1201 Updated 29/12. Excl heard-only's (which included Brown Eared-Pheasant). Visited China (Jan), S Vietnam & Cambodia (April), Britain (June), SE Brazil & Pantanal (Sept), The Netherlands. Highlights included Jabiru, Greater Adjutant and Oriental White Stork; Siberian and Sarus Crane; Giant, White-shouldered, Bare-faced, Plumbeous and Buff-necked Ibis; Boat-billed Heron; Scaly-sided and Brazilian Merganser; Harpy, Red Grouse, Ibisbill, Hawk Owl (NL), 43 antbirds incl Stymphalornis acutirostris; Cutia, Grey-crowned Crocias, Green Cochoa; Collared and Red-winged Laughingthrush; 6 parrotbills incl Grey-hooded; 43 tanagers incl Cherry-throated and Chestnut-backed and Black-legged Dacnis.
18 Howard Laidlaw British, residing in USA 1192 USA(Texas,Florida and Alaska),Mexico, Panama and Northern Peru, with Venezuela to come in December
19 Mike Haldeman USA 1169 Thailand, US, Honduras, Argentina
20 Jim Holmes, Jr USA 1102 Quail Plover, Golden Nightjar and Gray-necked Rockfowl in Cameroon; Akepa, Akipolaau, Nene, Palila Omao, and Kauai Amakihi in Hawaii; Hawk Owl in Minnesota; Spanish Imperial Eagle in Spain; and Yellow-shouldered Parrot in Bonaire to name a few
21 Bryn Martin USA 1062 Panama, Pantanal, Peru
22 Steve Lister British 1052 First time I have got over 1000. England, south-west Iceland, Finland and Arctic Norway, western and central Kenya, Costa Rica. Pine Bunting, Little Bunting, Lesser Yellowlegs, Arctic Redpoll, Dusky Warbler and LBDowitcher in England. Iceland added Barrows Goldeneye, Gyr Falcon, Harlequin, King Eider, Black Duck and Brunnichs Guillemot. Isabelline Shrike was unexpected in Finland. 404 species on the Kenya trip and 377 in Costa Rica.
23 Dave Sargeant British 1033 Last upd: 27-Nov-05: Visited northern Thailand, Oman, Mexico, Sumatra, Kaeng Krachan, Madagascar.
24 Brian Fletcher British/Australian 1031 Black-legged Sereima, Sandy Gallito, Tucuman Mountainfinch, Horned Screamer, Purus Jacamar, Collared Puffbird, Sungrebe, White tipped Quetzal, Gorgetted Woodstar, Merida and Orange throated Sunangels, Brazilian Ruby, Itatiaia Thistletail, Araucaria Tit-spinetail, Oustalets Tyrannulet July; Common Quail, Sakir Falcon, Elanora's Falcon, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Mediterranean and Cory's Shearwater, Orphean Warbler. Kruper's and Western Rock Nuthatch Oct, Northern Bald Ibis, Barbary Falcon, Marbled Duck, Temminck,s Lark, Red rumped Wheatear, Moussiers Redstart, Audouins Gull, Nov 05 Siberian Crane, White-naped Crane, Oriental White Stork, Swan Goose, Yellow-bellied Tit, Red-billed Starling, Indian Pitta, Orange-headed Thrush Dec 05
25 Bradley Davis Canadian 956 Canada, Cuba, Bogotá and Brasil.
26 Christoph Zockler German 895 India, Germany , UK and Peru, Canada, Scotland, Kenya and just back from Chukotka, Siberia with a total of 29 gull species and all divers! Latest update 24. September with Buff-breasted Sand, Emperor Goose, Rubythroat, Siberian Accentor, Spoon-billed Sandpiper and Spectacled Guillemot! Plus Thailand and Cambodia with latest addition Scarlet -backed Flowerpecker in Phnom Penh! Canada November update with Varied Thrush, Hawk owl, Surf Scoter and Barrow's Goldeneye as Highlights, a total of 33 gull species now, including Thayers! A very nice Wheatear for desert! Last bird of the year Golden Eagle! No Red Grouse though and no Purple Sand. Otherwise almost all sandpipers. The total does not include the latest splits, Otherwsie over 900!
27 Andrew Self Terran 831 552 species in Peru, also a short trip to India to see Tigers and a lot of birds in the UK
28 Richard Mielcarek British 827 31/12 - my best year. trips to Costa Rica and Venezuela
29 Mike Watson British 824 Updated 30/5. Ecuador 25 Jan-26 Feb - 18 sp. Antpittas inc. W Giant,Jocotoco,Moustached,Bicolored,Cresc.-faced+Rusty-br.;70 sp.Hummingbirds incl.Neblina+Violet-thr.Metaltails;White-faced Nunbird;87 sp.Tanagers incl.White-capped,Red-hooded,Purplish-mantled+Masked Mountain;Long-watt.Umbrellabird,Chestnut-bell.Cotinga;Black-collared Jay+Pale-headed Br.-Finch.Hungary:Red-br.+Barnacle Geese,E.Imp.Eagle+Saker.UK:Arc.Redpoll,Stilt Sand.,Trump.Finch,Woodchat,Collared Prat.
30 Marina Dijs @ Udo Rijlaarsdam Dutch 804 Costa Rica, Kenya and the Netherlands. All shared observations!
31 Negussie Toye Ethiopian 792 Northern Brownbul (Genalle River) was the lifer in 2004
32 Pieter van der Luit Dutch 773 Updated 09-09-2005: Hungary (Saker Falcon, Imperial Eagle), Spitsbergen (Ivory Gull, White-winged Scoter), Peru (Marvelous Spatuletail, Gray-bellied Comet, Tumbes Tyrant), USA (Red-cockaded Woodpecker) and Holland (Killdeer, Red-rumped Swallow)
33 Rob Batchelder USA (VA) 773 Argentina, Ecuador, Malawi, Zambia, South Africa, Colorado, Wyoming, Germany (<24hrs), michigan, ontario.
34 Edge Wade USA (MO) 766 4 Nov 05 update
35 Peter Bijlmakers Dutch 736 Pied falconet. Vietnam plus trips to Bangkok, South Africa, Burkina Faso and Netherlands/Germany.
36 Bob Stinger English 735 UK,Lesvos,South Africa
37 Steve Starling British 667 Been to Argentina, Antarctica, Australia & Dubai - 11sp Albatrosses, incl Wandering, 5 sp Penguins, Petrels incl Herald & Snow, Magellanic W'pecker, Austral Owl, Andean Condors, B N & Coscoroba Swans, 3 new Coot sp, Rufescent Tiger Heron & many more.
38 David Daniels USA 616 ABA Area (Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota), Kazakhstan, United Arab Emirates, Oman and England. Lifers for 2005: 226.
39 Ray Belding US 532 Chuck Wills Widow in Connecticut
40 Julian Thomas British 457 W Australia: Noisy Scrub-bird, Western Bristlebird, Western Whipbird, White-winged Fairywren, Aus Bustard, Red-capped Parrot, Bourke's Parrot, Western Spinebill. Britain: Belted Kingfisher, Elegant Tern, Barrow's Goldeneye, Trumpeter Finch, Sooty Tern, Brunnich's Guillemot.
41 Michael Woodruff USA -- WA 422 Washington state, Idaho, B.C, Oregon, Arizona, The Philippines
42 Georges Olioso French 376 3 weeks in NZ (Black Stilt, Stitchbird, etc.)
43 John Hodgkins ENGLISH 358 264 England inc lesser scaup, white tailed eagle,pallas's,dusky,dartford warblers, arctic redpoll,/Little buntings,Chough,Whiskered /Gull Billed Tern,Trumpeter Finch,Terek, Spotted & Stilt Sandpipers, Collared Pratincole,Nightjar, Red Footed Falcon,Belted Kingfisher in England and Florida./ Florida 79 New Lifers inc. mag.frig bird,Tree Swallow, royal tern, ruby throated hummungbird, loggerhead shrike,hermit thrush,palm, pine, yellow rumped, black/white warblers, zenaida dove, wilsons plover,yellow crowned & little blue heron,white crowned pigeon, black whiskered and white eyed vireos, northern cardinal, carolina wren, blue grey gnatcatcher, brown creeper, limpkin,bald eagle, kildeer, marbled godwit, red/black skimmer, fulvous whistling duck, bachmans sparrow + 16 others previously seen inc. blue wing teal, night heron, forsters tern, laughing gull, least sand,snowy egret, glossy ibis,yellowthroat, black duck, green heron.
44 Yong Ding Li Singapore 327 Palawan, Rufous, Visayan and Luzon Tarictic Hornbills
45 Lim Kim Seng Singapore 246 All 246 species seen in Singapore in 2005
46 Chris Fagyal USA 232 6/1/2005 - Say's Phoebe, Rock Wren, Chestnut-collared Longspur, Whip-poor-will, Short-eared Owl, American Woodcock.
47 Bradley Davis Canadian 222 Ho hum...

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