November 2014 eBirding Challenge

It’s time again to announce a new eBirding Challenge — this time for November. (And to remind everyone to please upload your October Challenge lists by 5th November.)

Winter brings a number of exciting migrants to our region, and we birders tend to make the most of the season by covering as many locations as possible. This is excellent, but November’s Challenge is actually about consistency.

The target for November is to upload at least 20 complete lists from the same location during the month. As in earlier challenges, each list should be an effort-based, complete list, of at least 15 min in duration.

Why focus on the same location? The idea is to encourage us all to live and breathe birding — that is, be on the watch for birds all the time, not only when we go to a specific place where many species can be seen.

The advantages are several: when we get into the habit of being on a constant lookout for birds, we tend to notice much more of what is around us. When walking around within binoculars and fieldguide we better understand our personal limitations as birders. While doing so, many of us have realized that we can’t tell the difference between the calls of Red-whiskered and Red-vented Bulbuls; or between a glimpse of Common and Jungle Mynas. In learning these differences, by trial and error, we become better birders.

Further, by regularly recording the birds in a familiar area, we better understand how regularly or irregularly particular species are seen at the same location, and how their occurrence and numbers change over the seasons.

We don’t mean to discourage you at all from exploring a diversity of birding spots during the month! But at the same time, do try and do a regular 15-min list through the month at your home, office, campus, or any location you can easily visit; perhaps a nearby lake or park.

Please upload all your November lists by 5 December so that we can announce the results on 6 December. All birders who reach this target will be named and recognized on this website. One of these names will be chosen at random to receive a small birding-related gift in appreciation.

Here are the general rules of our monthly challenges. You can keep track of fresh lists coming in from India at this page.

Important. if you are new to eBird, please read this description first, and do take a look at the Beginner’s Guide.

Header Image: Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach © Ramesh Desai/ Macaulay Library