In the context of birdwatching, a sighting refers to the act of observing or spotting a particular species of bird. Birdwatchers often keep a record of the different species they spot, noting down details about when and where the sighting occurred. Some birders will also sometimes record additional details such as the bird's behavior, the number of birds seen and even the weather conditions at the time of the sighting.

Sightings can be an exciting event for birdwatchers, especially when they spot a rare or unusual species. Some birdwatchers participate in "twitching," which is a form of birdwatching where the goal is to accumulate sightings of as many different species as possible.

Birdwatchers might also classify sightings in different ways. For example, a "life list" is a record of the species sightings a birdwatcher has seen in their lifetime. A "year list" records the species sightings a person has seen within a single calendar year. A "home list", "yard list", "garden list" is a list of all the species sightings seen in a specific location, such as the birdwatcher's own backyard.