An Overview of Vancouver Big Years

“To become the greatest birder in the world, you have to win the big year.” – Brad Harris.

I am generally reluctant to get involved in an undertaking such as a big year. The inherent conundrum is that big years require a lot of effort which, being lazy, I’m unwilling to expend. Furthermore, there is a risk that if done successfully at the appropriate geographic scale, they can bring about unfathomable fame, wealth and success.  Because I much prefer to diddle in anonymity, it is critical to select the appropriate micro-scale for this trivial pursuit; one that will not attract much attention and leave no lasting impact. I have thus settled to focus my effort on the Vancouver checklist area.

The Vancouver checklist area covers the area from the International Border (but including Point Roberts, WA) north to 49° 35’ N (approximately Furry Creek), west to the middle of the Strait of Georgia, and east to 288^th St. in Abbotsford/Maple Ridge. The checklist stands at an impressive 411 species, but includes so many vagrants that only about 2/3 of these species are recorded annually. According to eBird, the mean number of species annually recorded within the Metro Vancouver County over the last five years is 264 (σ=1.73).

Vancouver Checklist Area, art by Ilya Povalyaev, ca. 2015, Microsoft Word line drawing on Google Maps,  14 x 19".

For most birders that have pursued a Vancouver big year 250 species has been the coveted grail, a threshold that would represent seeing 95% of all the species reported that year, if eBird data is treated as complete. I am aware of only one birder (although there might be others unbeknownst to me) reaching this hefty plateau since 2004: Rob Lyske who tallied exactly 250 in 2013. I don’t know what the actual record is, but have a foggy memory from long ago of someone telling me it stood at 260-something. However, this dates back over a decade so I may have fabricated the number or perhaps the scenario entirely.

Regardless of what the record may be, 260-something seems like a perfect target since it defies most components of S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound) goal setting. It is not specific, it is unattainable with the effort I’m willing to invest, and it is not ‘relevant’, which coupled with ‘big year’ is an oxymoron. With an unrealistic goal of 260-something failure becomes excusable, acceptable and expected, meaning there should be no disappointment at the end of this.   

Wish me luck!