Our third annual March Migration Madness tournament kicked off on Tuesday, March 12, when the Whooping Crane faced off against the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. After more than 2,700 total votes, the crane stretched its long legs and walked away with the victory. It will reappear in Round 2 against the winner of the American Kestrel vs. Pileated Woodpecker round.
This year’s species roster features more than a few surprises. They were chosen by fans of the many separate projects here at the Cornell Lab. For example, the stately white crane was a write-in candidate chosen by fans of our Facebook page. The sapsucker represented our Sapsucker Woods page, which gives people news about the 220-acre nature preserve where the Cornell Lab has its offices.
Other species in the tournament represent efforts like Project FeederWatch (Tufted Titmouse), NestWatch (Eastern Bluebird), eBird (Swallow-tailed Kite), YardMap (Pileated Woodpecker), and Merlin (er, Merlin). There are even—gasp—a couple of mammals in play this year. They earned their spots representing projects of ours that study (and conserve) whales and African forest elephants. For the whole list, check out this bracket:
Click the image to download a printable version:
To vote, visit our Facebook page each weekday. We’ll post a photo album with photos of the day’s two contenders—just click “Like” on the one you want to win. There’ll be a new matchup each weekday until April 1, when we’ll decide our new “Chirpion.” Thanks for playing!
