World Series of Birding to Benefit Bird Conservation

Two teams competing in this year’s World Series of Birding, which is a “bird-a-thon” organized by the New Jersey Audubon Society and Cape May Bird Observatory, will raise funds for American Bird Conservancy’s conservation programs. On May 10th 2008, Team Bristlehead/Kowa will compete for the Urner Stone Cup, the trophy given to the team that observes the most bird species in the state of New Jersey within a 24-hour period. The same day, Team Beltway Kingfishers will compete in an area limited to Cape May Island for the Cape Island Cup.

Red Knot. Photo: Mike Parr

Competing teams raise money for the conservation charities of their choice through lump sum donations or pledges per species they find. This year, the Beltway Kingfishers will donate funds raised to the American Bird Conservancy, to support safeguarding the rarest species, protecting habitats, and eliminating threats to birds - including helping to protect migratory birds like the Red Knot, which can be seen during the competition.

Team Beltway Kingfishers was formed by Jordan Rutter and her father Keith Rutter, both active in the World Series of Birding since 2003. This year they will be joined by Daniel Lebbin, a new staff member of American Bird Conservancy, who has twice helped the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology team scout for this competition.

Team Bristlehead/Kowa is dedicated to resource conservation, and will be using alternative fuel, hybrid vehicles, and human power while scouting and competing. Team members are Andy Bernick, Mike McGraw, Rob Hynson, Jim Danzanbaker, and Tony Croasdale. More information about the team is available at www.bristlehead.org.

Marvelous Spatuletail. Photo: Greg R. Homel, Natural Elements Productions

Bristlehead Captain Tony Croasdale met a member of American Bird Conservancy’s Peruvian partner organization in Peru, Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN), who took him to see a wild population of Marvelous Spatuletail. This fantastic experience prompted Croasdale to get the team involved and support American Bird Conservancy’s Marvelous Spatuletail project, which will be receiving the Team’s donated funds.

The Marvelous Spatuletail is perhaps one of the world’s most interesting hummingbirds. This species only occurs in a tiny area of northern Peru and is listed as Endangered on the 2007 IUCN Red List. American Bird Conservancy and ECOAN have signed a conservation easement with the local community, and are in the process of creating a local reserve.

These efforts include planting thousands of native flowers used for foraging by hummingbirds, maintenance of a community tree nursery capable of producing 80,000 saplings per year, outreach and education work with schools and community leaders, establishment of a visitor’s center and reserve, and encouraging local eco-tourism. This project is vital to habitat protection within the most threatened area of the Marvelous Spatuletail’s range. To see a video of the Marvelous Spatuletail’s amazing courtship display, please click here.

Both teams are seeking generous people to pledge funds which they will donate to the American Bird Conservancy. You can support either team by pledging a lump sum or a fixed amount per bird species (e.g. $1 or $0.50) located during the competition. Team Bristlehead/Kowa hopes to locate 200 bird species, and the Beltway Kingfishers’ goal is 140 species. Checks can be made out to American Bird Conservancy, with either “Bristlehead” or “Beltway Kingfishers” in the memo space. Please send checks to the teams at:

Beltway Kingfishers c/o Jordan Rutter, 2610 Belle Crest Lane, Silver Spring, MD 20906, https://www.abcbirds.org/membership/beltway_kingfishers.cfm

Or

Team Bristlehead c/o Clyde Croasdale, 222 Morgan Ave, Palmyra, NJ 08065, https://www.abcbirds.org/membership/donate_tbh.cfm