World Series of Birding Record

Lab supporters break pledge record, give $140,000 for conservation

At midnight on May 15, 2004, the Lab of Ornithology’s Team Sapsucker stood alert on the boardwalk at Hackensack Meadows in New Jersey, scanning the water with spotting scopes. The 22nd annual World Series of Birding had begun, and Lab supporters had already pledged a record-breaking $670 for every species seen or heard during the next 24 hours—a motivator that left the Sapsuckers more determined than ever to find as many birds as humanly possible on the Big Day.

They came close—at least by the standards of the World Series of Birding. The tally began just after midnight, when the six members of Team Sapsucker spotted Ruddy Ducks displaying by the orange glow of nearby lights, and ended nearly 24 hours later at Turkey Point where the team heard its 209th species, a Whip-poor-will. They won the Stearns Award for the best out-of-state team. The Urner Stone Cup went to their friends and rivals from the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club, who had an impressive checklist of 219 species. Even more impressive was the uncommon generosity of Lab supporters, whose contributions surpassed those for any other team. Thanks to Swarovski Optik, which paid for the team’s expenses, all $140,000 raised will go to the Lab’s conservation programs, including a study of the effects of acid rain on bird populations.

The Sapsuckers and all of the Lab’s staff extend a heartfelt thanks to everyone who pledged for bird conservation. See pages 18–19 for the latest article about how the Lab’s conservation staff are helping make a difference in landbird conservation.

For more about this year’s Big Day, visit www.birds.cornell.edu/wsb/highlights.html.

Congratulations to Linda Hoffman of Springville, New York, winner of our drawing for a pair of Swarovski 7 x 30 binoculars.

For permission to reprint all or part of this article, please contact Miyoko Chu, editor, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, NY, 14850. Phone: (607) 254-2451. email: mcc37@cornell.edu