Welcome to uk.rec.birdwatching

Many Usenet newsgroups are notorious for being the abode of the stereotype Internet nerd – curt, supercilious, abusive and generally one sandwich short of a picnic in the social skills department. But fortunately there are also newsgroups to be found which are friendly, informative and entertaining, and one of those (usually) is uk.rec.birdwatching. This group is for discussing all aspects of observing wild birds in the United Kingdom. (If you are unfamiliar with what a Usenet newsgroup is, see my Usenet page).

Sadly it has to be mentioned that at least one person answering to the above description has been making a considerable nuisance of himself in the group, using a variety of names. It is a good idea to know how to use a ‘killfile’ to eliminate unwanted posts – if you have not met this before, my Killfile notes may help. The group is also not as active as it used to be.

I have gathered together some answers to questions which come up frequently in the group, and present them here in the uk.rec.birdwatching FAQs.

Site contents

The main FAQ	Speaks for itself.
Field Guide FAQ	Kindly contributed by Gordon Hamlett, based on responses given by members of the group.
Scientific bird names explained	An explanation of those curious and apparently unpronounceable bits of italicised text that one finds in all the best field guides.
Pronunciation of English bird names	A guide to the recommended pronunciation of those bird names that not infrequently give rise to discussion.
Tips for beginners	A few, hopefully helpful, suggestions.
Infrequently Given Answers	The wit and wisdom of uk.r.b (apart from the wisdom).
Downloadable British and European Lists	Lists of names of birds which have occurred in Britain/Europe, for people who want to start their own database or spreadsheet.
Usenet	Using Usenet; what to do if you have problems reading the newsgroup; commonly-used abbreviations; strange denizens of Usenet; “killing” unwanted posts.
Members’ Portraits	Get to know the contributors to the group.
Miscellany	Pages dealing with a variety of topics that have popped up in uk.r.b at various times.
What’s new	Recent additions to the FAQs

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