A birding team in action during the World Series of Birding.

New Jersey Audubon’s World Series of Birding is the country's largest and most well-known birding competition, and for more than three decades it has provided participants and sponsors with an exciting and interactive way to raise money for critically needed conservation priorities. Starting at 12:01 am on Saturday May 11th through the day to midnight, teams can compete as many hours as they wish during the 24-hour period, and teams will cover the state of New Jersey listening and searching for as many bird species as possible.

It’s a true competition, with factors of timing, scouting, practice, and luck involved, as well as experience with the New Jersey avifauna the second Saturday of May. Anyone can participate in the World Series of Birding as a team member, but even more people participate by making a donation – perhaps a given amount per the number of species a team finds (from 100 to 200 species). To date, more than $77,000 has been pledged, with the goal of raising $250,000 for this season. Among an impressive list of sponsors is Carl Zeiss Sports Optics, the sponsors of the Zeiss Youth Birding Challenge.

Anyone is welcome to attend the Finish Line festivities for the World Series of Birding (WSB), which will take place in the Grand Ballroom at the Grand Hotel in Cape May at 6:00 pm, and continue until midnight when the last teams trickle in with their species tallies. While the WSB phone app allows teams to submit their final totals “virtually,” New Jersey Audubon encourages teams to join in the Finish Line festivities, visit with other participants, and get a sneak peek at the leader board and final results!

The Awards Brunch will take place the following morning, Sunday May 12th, also at the Grand Hotel’s Grand Ballroom, with doors opening for a hot breakfast at 9:00 am, and the Awards Ceremony beginning promptly at 10:00 am; again, anyone is welcome.

For more information about the World Series of Birding, including the different categories of participation, please refer to http://worldseriesofbirding.org/