Four score and seven birds ago, the 4th of July Birding Challenge was born (actually, it was last year, but who’s counting?). Since it was such a big hit last year, the rules will remain the same, except for one new twist. There will be two categories of champion: One winner for the traditional “Most 4th of July Species”, and another winner for who has the most species in one day (i.e., biggest day on the 4th of July.) Winners will receive some dope Nemesis Bird stickers. For those that forgot, here are the rules:
The rules of the challenge are simple: when you are out birding on the 4th of July, every species you see that begins with the word “American” counts. Also, any species that begins with the name of a U.S. state (e.g.. California Towhee) also counts. You can also collect bonus birds for each of the following winged-countrymen you spot: Bald Eagle, Wild Turkey, and the official birds of each U.S. state. So, for example, let’s say I go out on Independence Day and see an American Robin, 5 American Crows, 3 American Redstarts, a Louisiana Waterthrush, a Bald Eagle, and a pair of Eastern Bluebirds, then I would have a grand total of 6 countable species. So it’s fairly straight-forward and similar to other ‘big day’ type competitions.
Just post your results in the comments, listing how many species you saw for the big day, and which of the eligible species you saw. Bonus points for posting your eBird checklists in the comments, especially if there are photos. If there are ties, we shall do a random drawing.
Last year’s champion, Nemesis Bird’s own Alex Lamoreaux, set the bar at 12 species of patriotic origin. He also had 86 species in one day on the 4th, so that was probably the retroactive high count for the new big day category. Who will win the coveted “George Washington-Dale Senior-Toby Keith-Budweiser Trophy” this year? Can Alex’s 12 American species be beat?
As with most birding contests, this one is solely meant for fun, and while the “George Washington-Dale Senior-Toby Keith-Budweiser Trophy” may or may not exist, no reward will be given to the winner, other than the personal reward of having a great day birding and being the best birder-patriot in the nation. Also, mid-summer can be a very slow time for bird watching, so this provides an excellent opportunity for birders to get out there and check out some breeding birds in your area or scour those neglected local hotspots. Post your totals on the bottom, and have fun out there birders!
Here is the list of the 58 eligible ’4th of July birds’ for counting in the ABA area, including the official birds of each state. (Note: ‘state game birds’ have been omitted, as has Hawaiian Goose (not ABA), Blue Hen Chicken, and Rhode Island Red Chicken. However, we added a new bird this year, and it’s a representative of the last state: Hawaiian Petrel!)
- American Avocet
- American Bittern
- American Black Duck
- American Coot
- American Crow
- American Dipper
- American Flamingo
- American Golden-Plover
- American Goldfinch (also state bird for IA, NJ, and WA)
- American Kestrel
- American Oystercatcher
- American Pipit
- American Redstart
- American Robin (also state bird for CT, MI, and WI)
- American Three-toed Woodpecker
- American Tree Sparrow
- American White Pelican
- American Wigeon
- American Woodcock
- Arizona Woodpecker
- California Condor
- California Gnatcatcher
- California Quail (also state bird for CA)
- California Thrasher
- California Towhee
- California Gull (also state bird for UT)
- Carolina Chickadee
- Carolina Wren (also state bird for SC)
- Connecticut Warbler
- Florida Scrub Jay
- Hawaiian Petrel
- Kentucky Warbler
- Louisiana Waterthrush
- Mississippi Kite
- Tennessee Warbler
- Virginia Rail
- Bald Eagle
- Wild Turkey
- Northern Flicker (AL)
- Willow Ptarmigan (AK)
- Cactus Wren (AZ)
- Northern Mockingbird (AR, FL, MS, TN, and TX)
- Lark Bunting (CO)
- Brown Thrasher (GA)
- Mountain Bluebird (ID, NV)
- Northern Cardinal (IL, IN, KY, NC, OH, VI, and WV)
- Western Meadowlark (KS, MT, NE, ND, OR, and WY)
- Brown Pelican (LA)
- Black-capped Chickadee (ME, MA)
- Baltimore Oriole (MD)
- Common Loon (MN)
- Eastern Bluebird (MO, NY)
- Purple Finch (NH)
- Greater Roadrunner (NM)
- Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (OK)
- Ruffed Grouse (PA)
- Ring-necked Pheasant (SD)
- Hermit Thrush (VT)