What is the YardBirdRace (YBR)?
YBR is a contest to see who can observe the most bird species from their yard or land they own or work at in Western Washington in a one-year period, in this case between 12 am Jan.1 2005 and midnight Dec. 31, 2005.
Does the bird have to be physically on in or over my yard?
No. Any bird heard or seen while you are in your yard and then subsequently identified without the aid of a moterized vehicle counts as a yardbird, no matter how far away it is.
Can I Identify the bird by voice alone?
Participants may use the sound the bird makes to identify it to species, although the normal cautions about identifying birds this way apply (look out for mimics!).
Is there a reward for participating?
2005 participants see above. 2006 is likely to be similar in prizes, but new ones may be added.
Can I enter if I'm not a great birdwatcher?
No one is a bad birdwatcher unless they claim to have seen birds they really didn't see. If you consult your books, check for similar species or confusing species, make your calls conservatively, and always be mentally open to the possibility that you have erred, you are a good birdwatcher. Ken Kaufman's Birds is a great book to buy for $20 to get started. In 2007 anyone who could identify a Crow and could win at this point in Downtown Seattle, Tacoma, Everett or Bellingham.
What geographical area does this race encompass?
So far YBR is limited to Western Washington west of the Cascade crest. YBR is not trademarked, and anyone anywhere is welcome to start a YBR in their home area.
What do I have to do to enter a yard list?
Register in the YBR by emailing yardbirdrace@yahoo.com with your current total--if possible copy and paste the list into the message, otherwise send some highlight birds along so those can be posted on the leaderboard. We also need your mailing address, and if possible, the name of the local or neighborhood newspaper (s) where you live and any other local media, radio or tv. You and possibly your yard must be willing to be publicized to the media, but fear not, YardBirdRace participants have not reported being hassled by hordes of paparazzi up to this point, however, if you starred in the movie Dead Man Walking, we can make special arrangements.
What's the reason Yardbirdrace got started?
Sports like Baseball get all kinds of free publicity, despite the fact they lack intrinsic interest to most people, simply because it is so endlessly fascinating to witness competition between people. YardBirdRace wants to bring this inherent human interest in competition to birdwatching with the intent of generating interest in and coverage of birds and bird habitat. Yardbirdrace is also interested in adding happy-face type coverage about birds to the sad-face type coverage about bird species going extinct. This way we the behavioral modification that goes on when bad news predominates can be ameliorated. YardBirdRAce is also hopes to focus attention on the desirability of wildlife-friendly landscaping over ugly chemical all-grass lawn style landscaping.