Searching for birds: the man who travelled the world to see over 10,000 different species
When Peter Kaestner (USA) was a boy, he would follow his older brother out the door of their home in Baltimore, Maryland, to wander their neighbourhood in search of birds.
Their hunts were amateur in comparison to their searches now – after spotting local breeds, they’d make mental tallys or jot notes on paper, a significant change from the disciplined categorizing they record today on their bird-logging apps.
Yet even though the technology has evolved over the years, Peter’s passion for birding has not – and over the last seven decades, this steadfast hobbyist has claimed the distinguished Guinness World Records title for the most birds spotted (lifetime).
In February 2024, he spotted his 10,000th distinct species in the wild – an orange-tufted spiderhunter (Arachnothera flammifera), near Bislig in Mindanao, the Philippines, while accompanied by guide Felizardo Goring. This was the first official time that anyone on Earth had passed that milestone, which includes more than 90% of Earth’s scientifically recognized species.
He immediately posted his finding on social media, where he received significant acclaim from birders and scientists around the world, who had been following his race to complete his “life list” for the last few decades.
@popularmechanics 10,000 species have been seen by Peter Kaestner, making him the man who has seen the most birds in the world. #birding #birdspecies #recordbreaking #birdphotography #discovery ♬ original sound - Popular Mechanics
“For me, birding is a 24/7 thing,” he said to The Baltimore Sun, after taking the title. “I never tire of seeing even common birds. It doesn’t matter.
“I am enthralled by birds, by their beauty, by the wonder of their flight and migration, some of the wild behaviors and things that they do.”
Read more stories about record-breaking birders in our dedicated Hobbies and Skills section!
Peter embarked on his first international birdwatching trip – a visit to the Bahamas – at the age of nine, in 1962.
Ever since that journey, he was obsessed with observing the diverse creatures – and he even considered becoming an ornithologist before ending up in international relations, with the hopes of exploring the world (and seeing new species).
His dreams finally paid off when he entered the US Foreign Service in 1980, and as he began his travels, he already had roughly 1,500 sightings under his belt – obtained while serving with the Peace Corps in Africa.
While working as a diplomat, Peter lived in a dozen countries across the world, birding in them all.
He tracks his species using the IOC World Bird List as his guide, and logs his findings on sites like eBird and iGoTerra. By his own estimation, he ticked off the lion's share of his finds (8,600-plus species) during the 36 years he worked aboard, particularly in India and Brazil.
Image: Veronika Andrews Andrews from Pixabay
In 1986, he made his first official appearance in Guinness World Records, after becoming the first person known to have spotted a representative of each bird family (then 159 different categories).
Image: homecare119 from Pixabay
And three years later, while stationed in Colombia, he even discovered a new species – the Cundinamarca antpitta – which was named in his honour as grallaria kaestneri.
Beyond his sightings, Peter is a known advocate for responsible birding and environmental protections. So when he returned to the home of the kaestneri just a few years ago, he was thrilled to find out that the locals had set up a feeding station there to support and witness the beautiful animals.
“Being recognized for having worked so long and so hard at something is a treat – you can’t deny it, but it’s not the reason I birdwatch,” he said to The Guardian in 2024.
“I love to travel, I love the adventure of going to unusual places, I love observing bird behavior. I love teaching people about birds. Having my 15 minutes of fame is just a bonus for me.”
Image: Willfried Wende from Pixabay
So congratulations to this devoted birder – Peter, you are Officially Amazing!
Header image: Dieny Portinanni from Unsplash