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America's
Birdiest Cities
INFORMATION
ON CONTEST HELD IN SPRING 2002
updated
Aug. 14, 2002
CONTEST
RULES
| 1. |
All
birding must be done within city limits and from land. |
| 2. |
All
birding is within a single continuous 24 hour period. |
| 3. |
No
limit on the number of teams participating. |
| 4. |
Only
full species on the ABA area checklist are eligible. |
| 5. |
All
birds positively IDed by sight or sound. |
| 6. |
A
written compilation of birds encountered must be submitted to event organizers. |
AMERICA'S
BIRDIEST CITY
CONTEST RESULTS
| The sightings have been
recorded, the lists have been totaled, and the results are official for
2002 San Diego has emerged as America's Birdiest City, with 218 species
recorded within the city limits in their 24-hour count period.
Last year, New York City was the winner with 185 species. |
|
.
|
| The top five large cities
were: San Diego, 218 species, New York, 205 species, Corpus
Christi, 188 species, Boston, 152 species, and Milwaukee, 146 species.
Both the San Diego and New York totals were new city records. |
|
.
|
| A separate competition was
held among smaller cities, and here the winner, with bragging rights as
America's Birdiest Small City, was Duluth, MN. Congratulations, Minnesotans!
The top small cities were: Duluth, 183 species, Santa Cruz, CA, 170
species, and Newport Beach, CA, 155 species. At the top of really
small cities was Blythe, CA, with 115 species. |
|
.
|
| All of the participating
cities had interesting sightings. In San Diego's case, the most odd-ball
sighting was a Curve-billed Thrasher. Out of an abundance of caution,
it wasn't included in the total, as it was seen near the Mexican border
and so there was the possibility it didn't get to San Diego entirely under
its own steam. San Diego counters also recorded four species of psitticines,
only one of which, Red-crowned Parrot, could be officially counted.
Nor did we include the spectacular Black-throated Magpie-Jays, now residents
near the Mexican border. Duluth's best birds were Snowy Owl,
Snow Buntings, and Red-throated Loon. |
|
.
|
| San Diego's improved results
were a combination of favorable weather, and of having many more observers
in the field to cover, hot spots such as the San Pasqual and Tijuana River
valleys, said Phil Pryde, who coordinated both the overall America's Birdiest
City (ABC) competition, and the San Diego effort. |
| . |
| The strongest correlation
with top results, Pryde noted, was how many participants were in the field.
San Diego had about 45 observers, Duluth had 50, and New York around a
hundred. |
|
.
|
| Appreciation is extended
to all the communities who participated. Several of the cities combined
their ABC effort with other worthwhile activities such as Audubon fund-raising
birdathons, International Migratory Bird Day, and migratory hawk watches. |
|
.
|
| And if anyone is thinking
ˆ gee, my town could have topped those results ˆ well, one of the rewards
is bragging rights, and as they say, if you don't play, you can't bray!
We'll look for your entry next year! |
|
.
|
| But it should be emphasized
that there are more practical applications for the ABC results as well
as an awareness and education tool for local residents, as the start of
a time series of data on local spring season breeders and migrants, and
(especially for the top cities) as a justification for increased local
habitat protection. |
|
.
|
| If anyone would like the
results for any particular city, contact me at the address below, and I'll
provide the contact person for that city, and send you San Diego's results
if you would like them. Thanks again for participating. And it's
not too soon to start organizing your 2003 campaign. Are you going
to let San Diego and Duluth get away with this? |
|
.
|
|
Phil Pryde,
America's Birdiest City coordinator
June 4, 2002
|
Go to Newport
Beach's Birdiest City contest list
http://www.sdnhm.org/research/birdatlas/wrenderings/02summer-reports.html
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