Local Birding Contest

1st Annual Gulf County “Birding Cup”
Friday, March 10 – Saturday, March 11, 2023

Everyone is invited to join in the fun for the first annual Gulf County “Birding Cup”, which will be held for 24 hours from 6pm on Friday, March 10 until 6pm on Saturday, March 11, 2023.

This is a friendly competition among birders of all levels; the goal is for families, friends, and individuals to have fun and count all the bird species that they encounter (by sight or sound) in Gulf County, as well as to raise awareness about our local birds.

We are planning to have two categories: “at-home” and “at-large”. Participants in the at-home category should travel only within walking distance of where they live; participants in the at-large category can travel and count bird species anywhere in Gulf County.

A “Birding Cup Team” can have as many as eight members or as few as one. Members of a team must stay together when they’re counting, and for a bird to “count,” at least half of a team’s members must see or hear it.

Please register before March 3rd by going to the main menu and clicking "Registration" at the top of the page. Registration is free, but donations are welcome; and any funds donated will benefit the Forgotten Coast Sea Turtle Center.

Teams should start counting bird species at 6pm on Friday, March 10, and stop counting at 6pm on Saturday, March 11. After you finish counting, Email your complete bird list to: BirdingPSJ@gmail.com no later than 6:30pm on March 11 or deliver your list in-person to the organizer’s “Count Party” by 6:30pm. You can keep your list on eBird.org or use another method of your choosing. By submitting your list to eBird, you will also be participating in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s global citizen-science initiative.

Members of the Birding Port St. Joe Facebook Group will hold an in-person Count Party at (local venue w/ Wifi) immediately after all the lists are submitted; starting around 7pm. Participants are welcome and encouraged to stop by and meet other local birders.

Winners will be announced and trophies & special prizes awarded as soon as the results are tallied. Awards will be mailed if winners cannot attend. All birders and teams submitting lists will receive a digital certificate of participation.

We’re looking forward to a fun and friendly competition, come join us and check out all the local birding fun on the Facebook group! Click the Facebook button below: