24-Hour Birding Bonanza April 28 - May 19

Bonanza is defined as, “any source of great wealth or prosperity.” Many people feel that birds are a source of great wealth and prosperity, both worldwide and in our own Wenatchee River Watershed.

Seize this special invitation, spend time with friends, and help collect valuable scientific data on the birds found in the Wenatchee River Watershed. The information gathered during this event will be used to maintain the Wenatchee River Watershed Bird Species database administered by the U.S. Forest Wenatchee River Ranger District's Wildlife Department. So, pre-register, pick your team members, and join our crew in the second annual “24-Hour Birding Bonanza”!

Prizes will be awarded to the team with the “Most Species Found” and “Best Bird” at the Keynote address on Friday, May 19th at Red-Tail Canyon Farm.

The Rules

1) Choose up to six people for your team.

2) As a team, pick any 24-hour period within the week beginning at 5 pm Thursday, April 28, and ending at 5pm on Friday, May 19 to identify as many birds as possible. The 24-hour period must be continuous (for example: 6 am to 6am, noon to noon, etc.) not spread throughout the week.

3) Individual team members may split up or stay together during the selected 24-hour time period.

4) Individuals must stay within the Wenatchee River Watershed boundary. See map.

5) Use the Birding Bonanza checklist. If you are unable to access these files, please contact Sarah Smith at the Wenatchee River Ranger District, smsmith01@fs.fed.us or (509) 548-6977.

6) Document any species listed as RARE or OCCASIONAL/ACCIDENTAL on the Birding Bonanza Checklist (for instance, black-chinned hummingbird, three-toed woodpecker, or white-winged crossbill) in at least one of the following ways:
a) Have two individuals verify identification;
b) Take a photograph of the bird;
c) Make a detailed drawing of the bird without using a bird book;
d) Record the bird’s vocalization (call, song, etc.)

7) For birds listed as COMMON on your checklist, place a checkmark for each identification. For all other abundance levels, please record number seen and the location where you found the bird (i.e. Blackbird Island, Stevens Pass, or Confluence Park). Please make sure all notes are legible.

8) Have your results to Sarah Smith before 5 pm on Friday, May 19th in one of the following ways:
- E-mail your checklist to smsmith01@fs.fed.us
- Bring your checklist to Birdfest Central on Front Street in Leavenworth;
- Drop off your checklist at the Leavenworth Ranger District front desk or put it in the drop box outside the front door.

Thank you for your time and effort, and HAVE FUN!

This event is sponsored by the Wildlife Crew at the Wenatchee River Ranger District.