LINCOLN – May will be Nebraska Bird Month, and in its spirit, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is launching the first-ever Nebraska Birding Bowl in partnership, a competition for experienced and amateur birdwatchers alike to contribute data toward conservation and experience the beauty of the state’s mid-spring weather, not to mention the possibility of prizes.
Participants can be a part of the event either individually or as a team; the deadline to register is May 31. Birders or teams can choose which categories they would like to compete in, ranging across age and distances, from youth birders to birders content with keeping an eye solely on their backyards, to highly-competitive contests for birding veterans looking to spot as many species as possible in the shortest amount of time.
Nebraska Game and Parks, in collaboration with Audubon Great Plains and the Wild Bird Habitat Store, says in a statement that it chose the month because of the variety of birdwatching it offers, from “viewing songbirds in parks, shorebirds in wetlands, observing common backyard birds, to attending one of the many guided Nebraska Bird Month Programs.”
For this competition, a web-based, community science platform, will be used. It is designed for tracking bird observations while also contributing data for bird conservation. The Birding Bowl website features a guide and tutorials, as well as learning webinar opportunities.
Participants have a chance to win prizes that include bird feeders, a pair of Vortex binoculars, or up to a $1,000 cash prize.
To register or to learn more, residents should head to Nebraska Game and Parks’ 2023 Nebraska Birding Bowl website.
