in birding the term "sparkbird" is used by some people to describe the bird that got them into the hobby. not every birder has a sparkbird, but the ones who do typically have a strong fondness for theirs.
mine was a red-winged blackbird that i found yelling in the perennial reed grasses by the pond where i used to feed the ducks on April 20th, 2019. i know this was the date because i immediately texted a friend about it. on the drive home from the pond i stopped at a bookstore and picked up a copy of the Sibley Birds West and it changed the trajectory of my life. i did not know at the time that we were approaching a global event that would render birding the only remaining hobby of mine that i could safely do with other people for years.
the red-winged blackbird is an incredibly common bird in the united states. depending on where your live, you may know them for dive bombing you on your morning jog. i've seen about 350 species' of birds since that day, some of them incredibly rare. almost always when i go birding i see or hear a red-winged blackbird. and every time it's like being greeted by a dear friend.
that's why i marked 4/20 as "sparkday" in my phone calendar. it didn't occur to me until it came up on my phone the following year that i had accidentally made a funny double-entendre. it's my favorite calendar item every year.
