''To See Every Bird on Earth: A Father, a Son, and a Lifetime Obsession'' is a book by

Dan Koeppel Dan Koeppel (born 1962) is an American author and columnist. He has written columns for ''The New York Times Magazine'' and ''Popular Science'', as well as having written extensively in a variety of mountain biking periodicals. He was previously ...

first published in 2005. It is about the author's relationship with his father Richard Koeppel, an obsessive "Big Lister"

birdwatcher Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...

who had spotted over 7000 different species of birds at the time the book was written. The book focuses on Dan Koeppel's attempts to understand the obsession that ruled his father's life. It also examines the culture on highly competitive birders who travel the world making lists of their sightings, and discusses the history and rules of listing. Richard Koeppel was diagnosed with cancer in 2000, which curtailed his birding and forced him to switch to butterflies found locally near his home on Long Island, New York. H
died
of cancer-related causes on August 2, 2012.

External links

Obituary
''The East Hampton Star'', August 15, 2012. Birdwatching 2005 non-fiction books {{US-bio-book-stub