2014 Challenge

Will you take the challenge?

This years challenge is easier than last years, but can also be quite a bit harder--this year we are sending you on a birding scavenger hunt to try and find and/or photograph some of the most unique, rare, representative, and down right hard birds to find. It will be a monumental challenge to snag all 100 species on the list--and to photograph them will be even trickier. This year photos are not required--you can just hear or see the species to count it, but if you get a photo, it's worth double points.

The challenge includes 96 species on a sliding scale of 1 to 5 for how hard they should be to get--the harder the find, the more valuable the species. There are 4 bonus birds/photos that are worth more points and are a bit more of a challenge. Finally there are 16 additional scavenger hunt items that can be picked up for bonus points. Some are birds, some are people, some are events, and some have the possibility for multiple photos and points.

To participate you'll need to sign up below so we can give you a spreadsheet to keep track of your points. If you are going to take photos, you will need to create a new Flickr Set in your account called, 2014 Utah Birders Scavenger Hunt, and tag all photos with "utah birders", and add your pictures to the Utah Birders Flickr Pool Group.

The contest is open until December 31, 2014--you may use photos taken in January (before we announced the challenge)... The only rules are that all sightings and photos must happen in Utah. Once you've signed up we will send you the official checklist and tracking sheet to keep track of your scavenger hunt for the year. This page is mobile optimized so it is easy to view on your phone!

All bird photos below by Tim Avery, except the following: White-tailed Ptarmigan and Black Swift by Kenny Frisch, Elf Owl by Jeff Cooper, Boreal Owl by Brian Maxfield, Hermit Warbler by Jeff Bilsky, and Streak-backed Oriole by Stephanie Greenwood





THE 100 SPECIES YOU NEED

Photos are worth twice as much.






Utah Birds

Greater White-fronted Goose

2 points
4 points
Utah Birds

Cackling Goose

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Trumpeter Swan

2 points
4 points
Utah Birds

Eurasian Wigeon

2 points
4 points
Utah Birds

Black Scoter

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Long-tailed Duck

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Gray Partridge

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Gunnison Sage-Grouse

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

White-tailed Ptarmigan

2 points
4 points
Utah Birds

Pacific Loon

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Horned Grebe

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Neotropic Cormorant

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

American Bittern

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Green Heron

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Glossy Ibis

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

California Condor

2 points
4 points
Utah Birds

Northern Goshawk

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Common Black-Hawk

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Common Gallinule

3 points
6 points
Utah Birds

American Golden-Plover

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Ruddy Turnstone

2 points
4 points
Utah Birds

Dunlin

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Any Species of Jaeger

4 points
8 points
Utah Birds

Sabine's Gull

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

California Gull

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Glaucous-winged Gull

3 points
6 points
Utah Birds

Common Tern

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Band-tailed Pigeon

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Inca Dove

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Greater Roadrunner

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Flammulated Owl

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Elf Owl

5 points
10 points
Utah Birds

Spotted Owl

3 points
6 points
Utah Birds

Boreal Owl

5 points
10 points
Utah Birds

Lesser Nighthawk

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Black Swift

4 points
8 points
Utah Birds

Calliope Hummingbird

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Acorn Woodpecker

2 points
4 points
Utah Birds

Williamson's Sapsucker

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Willow Flycatcher

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Least Flycatcher

2 points
4 points
Utah Birds

Vermilion Flycatcher

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Brown-crested Flycatcher

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Cassin's Kingbird

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Northern Shrike

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Bell's Vireo

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Cassin's Vireo

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Pinyon Jay

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Purple Martin

2 points
4 points
Utah Birds

Violet-green Swallow

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Juniper Titmouse

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Verdin

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Pygmy Nuthatch

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Pacific Wren

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Cactus Wren

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Black-tailed Gnatcatcher

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

American Dipper

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Golden-crowned Kinglet

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Western Bluebird

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Swainson's Thrush

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Gray Catbird

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Crissal Thrasher

2 points
4 points
Utah Birds

European Starling

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Cedar Waxwing

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Phainopepla

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Lapland Longspur

2 points
4 points
Utah Birds

Snow Bunting

2 points
4 points
Utah Birds

Northern Waterthrush

2 points
4 points
Utah Birds

Lucy's Warbler

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Nashville Warbler

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Common Yellowthroat

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Grace's Warbler

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Hermit Warbler

3 points
6 points
Utah Birds

Painted Redstart

3 points
6 points
Utah Birds

Yellow-breasted Chat

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Rufous-crowned Sparrow

3 points
6 points
Utah Birds

Abert's Towhee

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Clay-colored Sparrow

2 points
4 points
Utah Birds

Brewer's Sparrow

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Black-chinned Sparrow

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Sagebrush Sparrow

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Grasshopper Sparrow

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Harris's Sparrow

2 points
4 points
Utah Birds

Summer Tanager

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Western Tanager

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Blue Grosbeak

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Indigo Bunting

3 points
6 points
Utah Birds

Bobolink

2 points
4 points
Utah Birds

Yellow-headed Blackbird

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Common Grackle

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Scott's Oriole

1 point
2 points
Utah Birds

Streak-backed Oriole

5 points
10 points
Utah Birds

Black Rosy-Finch

3 points
6 points
Utah Birds

Pine Grosbeak

2 points
4 points
Utah Birds

White-winged Crossbill

4 points
8 points
Utah Birds

Evening Grosbeak

2 points
4 points
Utah Birds

1st state record specied in eBird (sorry the oriole doesn't count)

10 points
20 points
Utah Birds

7+ species of bird in the same picture (no photoshopping)

7 points
14 points
Utah Birds

Merlin/Kestrel/Prairie/Peregrine in one Day

4 points
8 points
Utah Birds

Blue-winged x Cinnamon Teal Hybrid

5 points
10 points

BONUS POINTS

Can you conquer the challenge? The bonus photo ops will help you to the top!



Utah Birds

Utah Birders Stickers on Cars

+1 for each
Utah Birds

You Holding any wild Utah Bird (legally/not dead/hunted)

+1 for each
Utah Birds

Birds Pooping

+1 for each
Utah Birds

Birds eating Other Birds

+1 for each
Utah Birds

Birds with Fish in bills and/or claws

+1 for each
Utah Birds

Birds inside Holes (trees, pipes, etc)

+1 for each
Utah Birds

Small Birds Attacking Larger Birds in Flight

+1 for each
Utah Birds

Utah Birder speaking with Law Enforcement

+1 for each
Utah Birds

Jerry Liguori Taking Pictures

2 points
Utah Birds

Tim Avery not wearing a Rockies/Broncos Shirt while birding

2 points
Utah Birds

Jeff Bilsky in the "birding stance"

2 points
Utah Birds

Kenny Frisch eating anything

2 points
Utah Birds

Carl Ingwell's beard

2 points
Utah Birds

Shyloh Robinson's Cedar Waxwing Tattoo

2 points
Utah Birds

Utah Birders picking up trash at a birding hotspot

2 points
Utah Birds

At least 10 Utah Birders together

1 point +1 for each person over 10

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