Birding on Borrowed Time

by Phoebe Snetsinger

Birding on Borrowed Time tells, in her own words, the remarkable story of Phoebe Snetsigner, the woman who saw more birds in her life than any other human being in the history of the world. Phoebe's quest to see as many birds as possible only began at the age of 34, when she first laid eyes on a resplendent Blackburnian Warbler. Both a lively chronicle of birding adventures and a profoundly moving human document, Birding on Borrowed Time is the memoir of a truly extraordinary woman. The book includes 45 illustrations by renowned avian artist H. Douglas Pratt (including 16 full-color plates), appendices, indices, and a map showing Phoebe's travel destinations.

Genres: Birds, Nature, Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir, Travel, Autobiography

307 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2003

Reviews

[Cindy Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a new birder, I had high hopes for an interesting read on how PS became the first person to see 8,000 birds. Nope.
Her writing style is probably taken directly from her index cards.

“I went to [remote wilderness place] with [amazingly talented guide] and saw [#] out of [#] of the birds I wanted to see, including a [rare bird name]. I was [euphoric/frustrated]. Now I was at [###] bird species. Then I went to [remote wilderness place] with ….”

All in all, though, I had to finish it.

[Martha Reifenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nature inspires wonder in its truest, most pure form. Urgency to live with a terminal diagnosis. Inspiring, but also sobering because her rigorous traveling is very unrealistic without a Survivor and/or Amazing Race win (bummer).

*Gift from Paul

[Malin Friess · Rating 5 out of 5]

As many of you may know I am an avid fan of the avifauna (or in common language: Birds for those of you who are less knowledgable about ornithology), so I had great anticipation reading about Phoebe Snetsinger; the best birder who ever lived.

In 1965 Pheobe Snetsinger, a stay at home mother, and Swarthmore Graduate (perhaps the most distinguished and famous Swarthmore graduate) at the age of 34 identified her very first bird the Blackburian Warbler near St. Louis Missouri. On Thanksgiving day 1999 Snetsinger was diagnosed with terminal Malignant Melanoma and was given 3 months to live. Refusing to become convalescent, Phoebe decided she wanted to see very bird in the world.

Not a light untertaking, considering there are over 10,000 species of Avifuana (as you can tell I like that word). Snetsinger kept copious notes of the birds she had seen: characteristics, color patterns, location; all on 3x5 cards. She was a scupulous student of Ornithology and was precisely prepared for every birding adventure she took.

Snetsinger's adventures took her all over the world (Papa New Guinea, Cuba, Cameroon, Alaska, The Artic, Burma, China, Korea, Poland, Russia, and months living in Kenya, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Madagascar. In 1981 Snetsinger had seen 2000 birds, 1982 (3000), 1984 (4000), 1986 (5000), 1989 (6000), 1992 (7000), 1995 (Phoebe became the first Birder in the world to see 8000 birds or "lifers.")

Snetsinger was doggedly determined in her quest. She survived a brutal rape and assault in Papa New Guinea, a ship-wreck in Madagascar (she spent hours clinging to edge of a boat), and an earthquake. After recording Bird #8,398 Phoebe was killed instantly in a Bus accident in Madagascar. Phoebe had beaten cancer for 17 years and died as she wanted to go: with binoculars in hand.

A few things I admired about Phoebe:

1) Because her note taking far surpassed other birders (most just listed new sightings), while Phoebe relisted new sightings in new locations, Snetsinger was able to add to her life list when splitting of new species was made.
2) Phoebe was a bird watcher and not a bird listener. She did not count a bird she only heard, and was disappointed the ABA considered identification by ear to be conclusive.
3) Phoebe was courageous; and did not allow her cancer or her rape/assault to victimize her. I'm dont't belive I could react as she did to such devastating circumstances.
4) Her love for adventure and traveling only increased with age. I see too many elderly spending way too much time sweeping their curbs. There is more to life when you have good health.
5) Phoebe liked the competition. She wouldn't let the British couple beat her to 8000.
6) Every bird sighting was always stunning, exquisite, brilliant, terrific. She truly loved her hobby.

A few things I questioned about Phoebe:
1) Clearly her birding (making multiple international visits per month) became an obscession. Phoebe skipped her own daughter's wedding because she already had a Birding Trip planned to Costa Rica.
2) How did she pay for all this..private charter jets, mulitple international flights, visas, van rentals, safari guides. Just for fun I looked up exclusive birding tours with famous outfits like Birdquest. So you want to go to Ecuador for 9 days ($4650), Birding in Egypt for 9 days ($5900), Birding in Quam for 19 days ($8700), or Birding to the Anartic for 21 days (a whopping $11,500). Phoebe was a German major and her husband was retired military.
3) Phoebe passed on her love of birding for her children. Four of her children are bird researchers (her son studies endemic birds in Kawaii).
4) I wish Phoebe would have given me more advice on how to identify birds. They all look like LGB's (little gray birds to me).

5 stars. The best go down doing what they love! Kudos for Phoebe going down with binoculars (much like winner of the RAAM Jure Robic..best ultracylist in the world died when striking a bus head on on a blind corner down a hill). I want to live the last 20 years of my life like Phoebe.

How many avifuana have you identified this year?

[Hannah Buschert · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's clear from reading Phoebe's book that she was truly an incredible woman that made a huge impact on anyone she met. She seems like a kind, knowledgeable, supportive person I dream about meeting on the birding trail. A mother of four, diagnosed with terminal melanoma at the age of 50 sparks out on an incredible birding adventure that would change the birding frontier. Her humor and good nature shines through in this autobiography and even though it may seem formulaic with 'went to XYZ and saw bird, bird, bird', I now wish I had taken the time to write down every location she mentions and investigate it more. As she lists locations that I have birded at in the past, I find myself wondering if we stood in the same place and I saw the ancestor of the bird that she herself saw. She was a giant in the birding community and someone I wish I could have met.

[Heather Hopkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an account of all the trips taken and birds seen by the person who first saw 8,000 different species of birds. While I am impressed by her achievements and the hardships she overcame, the book is a bit dry. The epilogue by her son is more readable and made me realize I'd rather read a book about her than by her. She took multiple trips every year that would be once-in-a lifetime trips for most people. So many that providing details of the locations or the birds would have been daunting and why this book starts to feel more like a series of lists than a story. Still, you do learn about her life and some of the adventures she experienced, as well as why she found so much joy in seeing new birds.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think you have to be an obsessive bird watcher and lister to enjoy this book. I did.

[Gae Jarvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book if you are a birder, otherwise you might get caught in the mire of so many birds listed.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic recounting of Phoebe's birding adventure, as told by her. Yes, she was 'privileged' and 'white', but seriously, who cares? Some of you people can't get out of your own f'ing way. Just read the story and enjoy the fact that this woman not only saw all these birds, but appreciated them as well. She wasn't just doing drive-bys, she wanted time to study and understand how they behaved and lived. I thought this was a fantastic read, it never got boring, and the tale itself is inspirational.

[Peg Lotvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The "borrowed time" in her title refers to the several cancer scares she had. Each time the cancer was put in remission and Phoebe travelled to multiple out of the way place to add birds to her growing list. This was truly competitive birding. She wanted to be the first to see 8,000 species out of a bit over the guessed at 10,000 world species. Sadly the "borrowed time" ended with a vehicle crash that caused her death when she was once again scouting out birds far far from home. She had reached the 8,000 bird species before her death though.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, probably because I identify so closely with Phoebe. I also fell in love with birds and the pursuit of them as a mother around the same age. I enjoyed being taken along on her many birding adventures all over the world.

[Erin Bowen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted so badly to love this book but it was incredibly boring and poorly written. I struggled to finish the book. Can’t deny her amazing accomplishment but the book was a major snooze fest.

[Nick Asreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book about a legendary birder and what birding was like well before my time. Some methods used to flush birds by Phoebe and others were questionable at times but overall a very enjoyable read.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic, what an adventure

[Betty Dietz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got bogged down in the endless lists of birds she saw. I loved that birding became her reason for living!

[Nicole Pepe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somehow her listing all the birds she’s ever seen was so fascinating. Definitely an inspiration. Was hoping for more of a plot.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been looking for this book for a while, so it's pretty dated. I felt that the author was a great inspirational woman who accomplished much while also fighting against the odds!

[Trina Matous · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m a birder and this book was recommended to me because of that. I found it disappointing, however. The book is a series of lists of trips and birds. It contains very little emotion. There are so many questions I would like to have known the answers to: how Phoebe could afford so many trips, how she managed her family with so much traveling at the same time. There’s some indication as to the effect travels on her marriage, but even that contains very little emotion and is presented more factually. Overall I found the book dry and skimmed through the second half just to finish.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think you have to be a very dedicated birder to appreciate the scope of this book....alas I just like birds for their own sake, robins, sparrows all the little birds....I don't have the inclination to seek the lifers as they are called. But it was an interesting read on a very possessed lady!!!.

[Marge · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jonathan Franzen mentioned Phoebe Snetsinger, who was a neighbor of his growing up, in his book "The Discomfort Zone." I was interested in the outline of her story - a diagnosis of metastatic melanoma when she was 49, a grim prognosis, and then 20 more years of life which she spent birding, largely. This book was my introduction to birding, and I found parts of it very interesting, but it does read more like the journal that it is than like a coherent, fully developed memoir.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A breathless account of the obsessive bird counter, Phoebe Snetsinger, as she travels the world many times to check off over 8,000 bird species. In the process, she discovers some new species, and contributes to taxonomy research through her fastidious record keeping. The book has three indexes, and many illustrations, but it lacks a heart and soul, perhaps because the author didn't have it in her to leave it on the page, but gave it up to birding.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a birder but Snetsinger was way beyond rational on her birding quest. She had the finances to back her myriad trips all over the world; and in the 30 years that she pursued her passion, she saw over 8,000 of the 10,000 species. In the meantime, she was on a birding trek when her eldest daughter got married and her relationship with her non-bird enthusiast husband was a saga. It was a saga!

[Wanda Pedersen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a book that I felt I had to read, as a female birder. It is poorly written and basically just a list of trips and birds seen. For a much more interesting version, read Life List by Olivia Gentile. It offers much more insight into Phoebe's life and was improved by the author's interviews with her surviving family members.

[Steve Collins · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is easily the worst book I have ever read. It is extremely poorly written, organized, and is generally boring. The book is essentially a chronological list of the professionally guided tours Phoebe attended with short bird lists from each. It was a chore to finish.

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book makes me want to bird the world. Snetsinger's approach of studying months in advance and learning about every bird she sees is commendable.

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

A great birder doesn't always a good writer make. Really enjoyed the more complete and introspective review of her life, The Life List.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Satisfying to read Phoebe's own words to get a sense of this most unusual woman. Never intended as a memoir, so don't expect it to read like one.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book helped me understand what is involved in serious birding. I read it nearly in one sitting. The illustrations are gorgeous.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

That was ALOT of Birds and a lot of travel. Phoebe very dedicated to her goal and just did not let obstacles of any kind alter her determination.

[pati · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing woman, amazing feat. I love to look at birds and this book inspires me to look harder and appreciate more our fine feathered friends!

[Bob Peru · Rating 5 out of 5]

whoa. she saw over 8000 birds. closely.