The Big Day is a group effort in which birders, working alone, in pairs, or in small groups, can maintain social distance and adopt infection-avoidance procedures while enjoying the outdoors. We will try to locate as many bird species as we can in a single fun day on Saturday May 15. Birders can spend any amount of time they choose within that 24 hours, and report on their efforts to the Big Day coordinator, Charlie Scheim.
Everyone is welcome, novice or experienced. If you are interested and have not participated before, please contact Charlie at 607-434-4880 (voice or text) or scheimc@hartwick.edu to get information on joining in the fun.
Note that DOAS Big Day is not the same as the May 9 Global Big Day because May 9 is a bit too early in the year for our location. A lot of late migrants can arrive during that extra week!
DOAS BIG DAY BIRD COUNT RULES (Modified from ABA):
A Big Day Count is a single-team effort in which the primary objectives are (1) to identify as many bird species as possible during a single calendar day and (2) to strive to have all team members identify all species recorded.
Counting
- Count only species listed in a recognized field guide.
- Birds must be conclusively identified by sight or sound. Use common sense: if in doubt about the bird’s identity, don’t count it.
- An introduced species may be counted.
- Birds counted must be alive, wild, and unrestrained. Domestic species are not to be included. Birds attracted to tape-recorders or feeders may be counted. Injured birds may be counted if wild and unrestrained. Eggs do not count as birds.
Time – All counting must be within a single 24-hour period, on a single calendar day, determined by where the Count begins or ends.
Area– Any geographic area within the region served by DOAS may be covered. A team’s coverage area may overlap that of other teams.
Travel – Travel may be by any means, provided that all participants remain within direct voice-contact distance during all travel (except for separate motorized travel or for “timeouts” for gas, food, rest, etc.).
Participants
- Any number of participants may constitute a team.
- Nonparticipating companions may accompany the team and may record or may drive vehicles.
Conduct
Each participant must:
- remain within direct voice-contact distance of all other participants at all times, except during time-outs.
- make every reasonable effort to identify personally and to help other team members identify every species counted by the team.
- count only birds personally and unquestionably identified.
- review the Big Day Count Rules before the start of the Count.
Outside Information
- During the Count, teams must make every reasonable effort to avoid receiving bird-finding help from nonparticipants.
- Any information received prior to the Count may be used during the Count.
- Ethics– Each participant should strive to maintain proper birding ethics at all times.
