A Big Year is the ultimate quest for skilled birders. For this informal birding competition bird watchers challenge themselves to see as many bird species as possible within a designated geographic area in one calendar year, from January 1 through December 31. With more than 700 bird species in North America, this can be an expensive and exhausting challenge. Officially, there is no organization that sponsors a Big Year challenge, so there is no big prize money or trophies awarded. But it does bring bragging rights in the birding world. The American Birding Association (aba. org) does recognizes Big Year achievements within North America, which is defined as the continental United States, Canada, Alaska and offshore areas up to 200 miles from the coast or halfway to another country, whichever is less. Bermuda, the Bahamas, Hawaii and Greenland are excluded. The current Big Year record is held by Sandy Komito, who, in 1998, recorded 745 species. Komito’s quest, along with fellow avid birders Al Levantin and Greg Miller, were featured in the movie “The Big Year” in 2011, starring Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson. The comedy was based on the book by Mark Obmascik: The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession. Although the movie was not a huge box office success, it did bring attention to birders and the lengths some will go to find rare birds. Instead of a Big Year, most avid birders go for a birding challenge on a smaller scale with different rules, such as
limiting a search to one state or county or to a specific bird refuge. Or, they challenge themselves to a Big Day or Big Month. For example, the New Jersey Audubon Society will host the annual World Series of Birding on May 11, where teams of bird watchers are challenged to count as many species as possible in a 24-hour period. Another variation is to chase only specific types of birds such as only hummingbirds or shore birds. In the end, it’s all about testing your birding skills in a way that’s fun and enjoyable to you. Another self-imposed challenge in the birding world is to create a life list, where you keep a running record of all the species you have identified in your lifetime. This typically includes the date and location of the bird and whether you identified the bird by sight or sound. For some folks, these lists become obsessions. In fact, the British call it twitching, meaning they are twitching with excitement about checking another bird off their list. Those who pursue birding life lists are called twitchers. Tips for Newcomers If you are new to birding, there are a just a few items you need to bring: a good pair of binoculars, waterproof boots and a note pad to jot down descriptions or names of birds. A jacket with extra pockets can help keep your hands free, and a pocket-sized field guide can help identify your feathered finds. Another option is to use a birding app such as BirdsEye, which is available for $19.99. It lets you see images of the birds on your smart phone or tablet, and even listen to bird JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 | TRAILBLAZER
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