Peter Kaestner has seen 10,000 different bird species, which, if you're not familiar with birding, sounds pretty impressive. If, however, you are familiar with birding, it's far more than that. As in, it's unprecedented. Last month, the 70-year-old retired American diplomat became the first person to log 10,000 different species, reports the Baltimore Sun.
- The bird: Kaestner traveled to the Philippines, where he spotted and photographed an orange-tufted spiderhunter. Kaestner already was No. 1 in the world in documented sightings, but the bird gave him the milestone.
- Context: The world has maybe 11,000 bird species, per the New York Times, meaning Kaestner has now seen the vast majority of them. About 60 people have cracked the 8,000 mark, while fewer than 20 have hit 9,000. "The number of people that helped over the years was extraordinary," Kaestner tells the Times of reaching the threshold once thought impossible.