Ira, a Canadian goose is a goose born in Canada. Sent from my iPhone
> On Dec 13, 2016, at 3:57 PM, Ira Sanders <[email protected]> wrote: > > What's a Canadian Goose? > > Ira Sanders > >> On Dec 13, 2016 3:01 PM, "Joe Roller" <[email protected]> wrote: >> "Is that bird countable?" is a common question among birders, with no simple >> answer. >> >> First one needs to consider what the criteria are for "countability." >> When a young birder starts off, his list may include these birds: >> robin, >> hawk, >> Canadian Goose >> duck, >> and "Yellow-billed Loon," identified by a stranger and viewed through his >> Aunt's scope. >> >> That is a personal list and quite valid. It's a first step to becoming a >> birder, and many of us have done that in the misspent days of our youth. >> >> And a birder of any age can keep a list of any kind. I have friends who keep >> a list of all birds they have seen in Colorado, including at the Zoo! >> >> But once a birder gets to the stage of wanting to compare his own list to >> other birders' lists, and maintain a reputation, the question >> comes up, "Can I count it?" In other words, "What are the rules of this >> game?" and "Do other birders include that species on their lists?" >> >> Let's face it, "The Lure of the List" is strong, and many birders have a >> gene for competition. Some disparage "listers," but there are few >> experienced birders >> who do not keep lists. And there are "mental lists." I have found that if a >> birder disparages "listers," they can usually tell you what birds they have >> seen, thanks to their mental list. >> >> Most of us follow the rule that the Colorado Field Ornithologists set down >> some years ago: For purposes of comparing one's state and county >> lists to those of other birders, the bird must be on the official Colorado >> list. http://coloradocountybirding.org/Checklists.aspx >> That applies to state lists, year lists, county lists, etc. Mute Swan, >> Graylag Goose, Monk Parakeet are not on the official CO list and most of us >> don't include them on our lists. >> That way I can be sure my list has not been "padded" by exotics. >> >> That official CFO list has been generated over the decades by expert >> volunteers on the Colorado Birds Record Committee, and it's maintained with >> care and scientific judgement. The CBRC went to great lengths >> (stable isotope analysis) to conclude that a taxidermy mount of an Emperor >> Goose shot in Colorado was probably not of wild origin. It's important that >> our state list is a "clean" one. Then it's comparable to >> the lists from other states, for example. >> >> And the fine points of what birds are countable are spelled out by the >> American Birding Association (ABA): >> http://listing.aba.org/aba-recording-rules/ >> There you'll find obvious guidelines like, "Don't count roadkill. Don't >> count birds in cages." And there you'll find some fine points such as, "When >> a bird has been caught in a >> net and banded, how many net marks must fade before you can count it?" >> >> eBird wants us to document exotics to watch for trends and changes. Witness >> the multitude of exotic cage birds, parrots and parakeets, that are alive, >> breeding and well in Miami, for example. >> So in summary, yes, report exotics to eBird, but when you do, the totals >> shown there on county or state or year lists, etc are not really comparable >> to others, who may have boldly >> gone into the field counting every Mandarin Duck and Jungle Fowl out there. >> You only have one chance to lose your reputation. >> >> Joe Roller, Denver >> (bracing myself for a storm of contrary views) >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Colorado Birds" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >> To view this discussion on the web visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAJpZcUDSsbkhnHbhidMiXO8zfWtx5RK15Tk9w%2Bn1YRkpq-fP_w%40mail.gmail.com. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Colorado Birds" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CABF3siExxMuecTcyCH1eEiwGMGKg%3D_pm1N312pWg8d56Ek7eMw%40mail.gmail.com. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. 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