life list

noun

1. a list of species sighted and identified by a bird watcher or naturalist over a lifetime.

Word History and Origins

Origin of life list¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

I don’t have a life list, and I can’t tell one juvenile gull from another.

From New York Times

An obsessive birder since childhood, Mr. Kaestner woke up that morning in February with 9,997 birds on his personal “life list” — more than 90 percent of Earth’s scientifically recognized species and three away from a singular milestone.

From New York Times

As of now, my Life List on Merlin is 45 birds.

From Seattle Times

The first species they identified — a rufous-sided towhee with a velvety black head, bright red and white breast, and ruby eyes — was the first bird Joanne ticked off on her life list.

From Los Angeles Times

For a slow birder — and Strassmann considers herself one — the payoff is not a longer life list, but connecting with and gaining insight into our inner circle of everyday birds.

From Seattle Times