Why “Listers – A Glimpse into Extreme Birding” Is the Must-Watch Birding Movie of 2025

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I love watching a good series. I know many people will say that watching TV is not productive, but I find it a great way to unwind and switch the brain off at the end of a busy day. In between the sport that has been on TV lately, I have enjoyed watching Yellowstone on Netflix.

But the perfect combination is not only finding something good to watch, but also something that connects with my love for birding. This weekend I was excited to find a documentary movie on YouTube called “Listers – A Glimpse into Extreme Birding.” Up until now my favourite birding movie was A Big Year - but this two-hour YouTube film has slipped into the number one spot. And here’s the thing, I know you will enjoy it too.

What Is the Listers Birding Documentary About?

Two brothers, Quentin and Owen Reiser, decided to learn about competitive birdwatching by becoming birdwatchers, spending a year living in a used minivan and traveling the United States to compete in a Lower 48 Big Year.

What makes this film stand out is how real it feels. This isn’t just about rare birds and perfect moments. It’s also about the frustrations - the car breakdowns, the mosquitoes, the exhaustion, and the setbacks. It captures both the highs and the struggles of chasing birds across a continent.

Here are six reasons why birders will love listers

1. It is full of funny and unfiltered moments (yes, including some swearing, bathroom breaks in the bush, getting sick on a pelagic, etc.).

2. It has fantastic bird footage mixed with the raw challenges of big year birding. After watching this, I am keen to do some birding in the United States.

3. You see how the brothers learnt to identify birds on the go. They went through the pain of learning how to identify the birds they saw themselves and also made some mistakes along the way.

4. The role of technology like eBird and Merlin, showing how accessible birding has become, but also how it feeds competitiveness and even conflict. The movie highlights both the positive and negative sides of technology.

5. Stories from the birding world like “Swallowgate,” where a Violet-green Swallow sighting by a 16-year-old caused major fallout, and a birder whose relationship nearly broke up because of eBird.

6. The quirky side of birding culture, from the Amish in Ohio still using a rare bird hotline to the laugh-out-loud moments of trying to describe to someone exactly where the bird is perched.

   
   

While not a conservation film at its core, it does shine a light on the conservation challenges birds face in today’s world. It’s also a great reminder of the balance between the joy of listing and the pressures that come with competitive birding.

As the film itself puts it:

“A pair of binoculars is a great conduit for adventure, maybe the best one. And I’m not talking about that curated kind of adventure you see on postcards or Instagram accounts. I mean the real deal.”

This is one of the most honest accounts of a Big Year you’ll see - funny, frustrating, thought-provoking, and inspiring all at once. You’ll want to watch this!