Call Collect, Ask for Birdman: The Record-Breaking Attempt to Sight 700 Species of North American Birds Within One Year

by James M. Vardaman

An account of Vardaman's extraordinary quest to sight seven hundred species of birds in 1979, covering his exciting journeys throughout the continent and his ultimate frustration of falling one bird short of his goal

Genres: Birds

247 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Nina Rach · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book throughout 2012, while I was engaged in my first "Big Year" attempt (birdaday.net - go birding every day and log a unique species every day- and I finished, with 366 birds).

Vardeman was engaged in a classic ABA Big Year attempt, in the days before cell phones or internet databases - most importantly, before eBird. He almost made it to 700. Spent a lot of time and money doing so. I appreciated his level of organization, he hired a team of experts to help him plan his year and strategize along the way. I particularly liked reading the sections about his various pelagic trips, including cruising around the Dry Tortugas (I camped there in October). He also made it to Attu, now closed to most of us.
Overall, it's a good historical account of how one birder, with a nearly unlimited budget, worked out his big year in the 70's. Published in 1980 - 33 years ago.

[Gregg Eldred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating story of a “Big Year,” back when there was no internet.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect book for a birder. Someone who is not might not enjoy it as much as I did. I loved his preseverance and dedication. The story was told as just that but included so much detail, which I totally appreciated.