Look inside a Birdfolio

1. The cover

   A dark green hardcover with a painting from the book, the birder's name and the size of the list: here, 400 species, 1996–2026.

2. The first bird

   Opposite the title page: the first bird on the list, with the date and place it was first seen.

3. A dedication

   Optional: a few words of your own near the front, such as a note from a family giving the book to their mother.

4. A life in birds

   An introduction written from the list itself: the first bird, the milestones at every hundred species, the best days.

5. The list in numbers

   Species, checklists, states and bird families, with a chart of the list growing year by year.

6. Days to remember

   The best day for birds, the best day for new ones, and a chart of sightings by month.

7. Where you have birded

   A map of the states, provinces and countries on the list, shaded by species. Place names only, never exact spots.

8. The first of each kind

   The first thrush, the first warbler, the first gull and more, each with its date and place.

9. Milestones

   Milestones are marked in the book. Here the 300th species, a Western Tanager painted by Louis Agassiz Fuertes, fills a page.

10. Chapters by family

    The species pages are grouped by family in field-guide order, each chapter opening with a painting. You can also order a book by date first seen or by country.

11. A page for every species

    Each bird beside a classic painting, with the date and place it was first seen and its number on the list. This book has two birds to a page.

12. Paintings and photographs

    Where no painting exists, a credited wildlife photograph takes its place.

13. The life list, in order

    Every species numbered in the order it was first seen, with its date.

14. The back cover

    Twelve small paintings from the book, and the dates the list spans.

Prefer to write by hand? A journal suits you better, or try our free printable life list. Already keep your list in an app? A Birdfolio saves you the typing.