This is a list of notable birdwatchers and of people who are notable in their own right but also happen to be birdwatchers.
First are listed birdwatchers with large life lists, which is based on the number of species of birds each of them has/had seen. Depending on the taxonomic viewpoint, there are 10,906 (Clements V2022) or 11,001 (IOC ver. 13.2) living bird species recognised.
Large life lists
As of 19 Sep 2023 according to the Surfbirds website, there are 24 birders who have added 9,000 or more species of birds to their life lists. An additional 37 birders have added at least 8,000 species of life birds. Note: all known sources of bird species life list data are self-reported.
These 61 birders include:
Peter Kaestner: 9,910 / 9,910 / 9,706 (#1 on Surfbirds / #1 on igoterra / #1 on eBird). Discovered the Cundinamarca antpitta (Grallaria kaestneri), which was subsequently named after him. First birder to see a representative of each of the world's (currently 249 [2021 eBird/Clements list] or 253 [2022 IOC list]) bird families. Philip Rostron: 9,763 (#2 on Surfbirds) Claes-Göran Cederlund: 9,761/ 9,806 (#3 on Surfbirds, #2 on igoterra). Deceased 2020) Sue Williamson: 9,306 (#14 on Surfbirds—#1 female birder) Phoebe Snetsinger: 8,398 (deceased 1999). First person ever to see 8,000 species. At time of her death in Madagascar she was World #1. Bernard Master: 8,346 The Chocó vireo (Vireo masteri) is named after him.
Other notable birdwatchers
Ramana Athreya: birdwatcher and astronomer
John James Audubon, ornithologist and painter
Mindy Baha El Din: ornithologist and environmentalist
Florence Merriam Bailey: ornithologist and author of several early field guides
Jim Clements: author of The Clements Checklist of the Birds of the World; 7,200 (deceased in 2005) Dominic Couzens: ornithologist and author Lee G R Evans: British twitcher and ornithologist Kenn Kaufman: American field guide author and writer Richard Koeppel: subject of To See Every Bird on Earth; a life list of over 7,000 Starr Saphir: led bird walks in New York City's Central Park for nearly four decades David Allen Sibley: American artist and field guide author
Birdwatchers famous for achievements in other fields
Margaret Atwood, Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, and environmental activist Sean Bean, English actor of stage and screen Stephen Breyer, United States Supreme Court Justice Laura Bush, former First Lady of the United States Jarvis Cocker, English musician and frontman for the band Pulp George Crook, 19th century U.S. Army General Anna Ford, journalist and television presenter Graeme Gibson, Canadian novelist Trudie Goodwin, English actress Daryl Hannah, American actress Mick Jagger, English musician, singer, songwriter and actor, best known as lead vocalist and founding member of the Rolling Stones Joanna Lumley, English actress, voice-over artist, former-model and author Paul McCartney, English musician, best known as member of the Beatles. Rory McGrath, British comedian and writer Eric Morecambe, English comedian Tig Notaro, American Stand-up comic and actor Bill Oddie, Actor, author, comedian, television presenter Vic Reeves, English comedian Debby Reynolds, British veterinary surgeon Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States Alison Steadman, English actress Lili Taylor, American actress, American Birding Association board member Laura Wade, British playwright Samuel West, British actor and director