Kansas Great Birding Year 2022 results, 2023 contest

PRATT – The 2023 Kansas Birding Big Year Contest, hosted by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP), is officially underway! Participation is simple; record the number of unique bird species you see in Kansas from January 1 to December 1. 31, 2023 and submit your results. You could end up winning the 2023 Kansas Birding Big Year!

Participants of all skill levels are invited to compete in one of three age groups: youth (17 and older), adult (18 to 64), or senior (65 and older). The winners of each category will receive prizes to be awarded in January 2024.

Participation guidelines

Participants must register online at ksoutdoors.com/Services/Wildlife-Diversity/2023-Kansas-Birding-Big-Year by April 1 to enter the 2023 competition.

Participants must read and respect the rules governing the contest. These rules are adapted from the American Birding Association’s Registration Rules and Interpretations and include the Code of Birding Ethics. Violation or non-compliance with these rules will result in disqualification.

Participants must register their details in the online service, eBird, available on the Cornell University website, ebird.org. Each participant must create an individual profile, login and password to start submitting sightings.

Participants should submit a comprehensive, up-to-date list of observed species to the program coordinator quarterly to track progress and provide quality control. The program coordinator and competition committee have the final say on the list totals. The quarterly submission dates for the 2023 competition are: 30 June, 30 September and 31 December.

The winners will be recognized and awarded in mid-January of the following calendar year. The award categories are as follows: Youth, Novice Adult, Intermediate Adult, Advanced Adult, and Senior.

The 2022 Kansas Birding Big Year Contest concluded in December 2022, with young entrant Franklin Miller reclaiming the title of “Kansas’ Top Birder” after identifying 322 bird species unique to the state last year.

Below are the top 2022 winners in each category.

Adult, Advanced

Malcolm Gold – 315*

Mark Nolen – 304*

Jeff Calhoun – 250*

Dan Broers-246

Chad Gardner – 228

Adult, Intermediate

Seth Miller – 290*

Giovanni Avena – 275*

Corey Entriken – 267*

Melissa Bruce – 265*

Kelli Egbert – 219

Adult, Novice

Anna Tanner – 183

Krystal Sarcone – 83

Timothy Tarkelly – 79

Youth

Franklin Miller – 322*

Hezekiah Swihart – 192

Michaela Gold – 166

Daniel Gold – 143

Elderly

Henry Armknecht – 289*

Sue Newlands – 270*

Dan Larson-215

Marie Plinsky-206

William Simon – 140

An asterisk

denotes a Top 10 overall rating.

Sponsors of the 2022 Kansas Big Birding Year Competition include: City of Great Bend Convention and Visitors Bureau, The Kansas Wetlands Education Center, Acorn Naturalists, The Kansas Ornithological Society, Dr. Robert Penner, and KDWP.