I shit you not, it is a real thing: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jizz_(birding)

Basically a bird you’ve been trying to see multiple times but it’s eluded you so far. Other useful terms:

• Lifer: A specific species of bird you’ve seen for the first time ever
• Jizz: The bird’s ‘vibe’, if you will. Sometimes you can’t see or hear a bird well enough but you can tell what it is by a combination of factors like the way it flies/moves, its behaviour, location, etc. That’s jizz.
• Little Brown Jobs/Birds (LBJ/Bs): Lots of birds are small, brown and look very alike. It’s hell to tell some of them apart.
• Windfucker: this isn’t an actual useful term, it’s the old english name for a kestrel. I just find it very funny.

Edited to format

Thanks to the ebird map I was able to pinpoint the exact spot I needed and saw a whole family of bearded reedlings last week! It’s truly amazing. A few other things I recommend:

• Merlin app (free) - Shazam for birdsong. Also has helpful photos for ID, and can narrow down birds to the ones most likely to be in your area

• Sibley birds app (paid) - digitalised bird ID book for birds in the Americas. Saves you from having to lug a heavy book around

• Collins bird guide app (paid) - similar to the above but Europe focused

• Birdingplaces website (free) - helpful if you’re looking for recommended spots to find birds. Each entry usually indicates recommended routes.

• Bird journal mobile/desktop app (free) - you have to sideload this one on mobile, and it hasn’t been updated in years. However, I find it’s the easiest to use if you want to make a record of the species you’ve seen.

Edit: I would be remiss if I didn’t also share guidelines for ethical birding:

https://birdlife.org.au/how-to/ethical-birdwatching-guidelines/

Tl/dr: Don’t get too close (especially around nests), don’t make too much noise, don’t mess with their habitat, don’t feed wild birds or use playback to attract them.

Do iiiitttt!! You don’t need expensive equipment, a decent pair of 8×42 binoculars is enough to get started (I like Bushnell’s). It’s a great way to spend time in nature and it can make such a difference for your mental health. That is, until you run into your first nemesis bird. Then there’s only rage…

You can’t tell us this story and not tell us how it ends!