Most WSB teams will tally a Hairy Woodpecker on their 24-hour list of species. The World Series of Birding 2020 logo features woodpeckers.

The annual World Series of Birding (WSB) Special Edition 2020 has been designed for people to be outside, enjoy birds, and raise money for conservation. For the 37th year in a row, starting at midnight on Saturday, May 9th through the following midnight, birders will be looking and listening for as many bird species as possible. At the same time, participants’ health and safety is the highest priority for the day, so participating birders will not congregate in a traditional team manner, along with some other special changes.

Instead, this year WSB participants must count species in their home areas – from your window views, yard, neighborhood, or outdoor public spaces within 10 miles – if permitted locally –during the 24 hour cycle this Saturday.

All WSB participants are required to follow all federal, state, and local COVID-19 orders and guidelines to the letter, and participants must monitor the status of these orders up to and during the World Series of Birding.

Because the World Series of Birding is primarily conducted in the state of New Jersey, a state with the second highest occurrence of CoronaVirus, WSB event coordinator New Jersey Audubon requires all participants in New Jersey to abide by curfews and not to meet with individuals other than co-habitants. Event coordinators have provided an expansive list of requirements related to participating in the World Series, which can be reviewed at https://njaudubon.org/worldseriesofbirding/

You Can Support WSB Teams

Already, 78 teams have formed and have been interacting online and by phone, and you can still form a team to compete. However, there are a number of ways to enjoy the World Series of Birding, to have fun, connect with others – virtually – and conduct fundraising for crucial conservation work throughout the Atlantic Flyway. Even if you’re not birding, you can select and support a favorite team and add to their fundraising efforts. Many teams opt to have a catchy or somewhat silly team name, and a few are standouts, such as the Beasts of Birdin’, Bold Eagles, Cool Kingfishers, Stellar Jays, Quarantined Corvids, Off the Rails, and the Wrenagades. Pick a team you can connect with on a conservation level, and support their goals.

Many birding events and festivals have canceled due to the pandemic, but it’s encouraging to see that within strict guidelines birders continue to persevere and do what they can to simulate a normal annual celebration while raising funding for important conservation projects. Good luck to all World Series of Birding participants!