Big Year 2013 rules

As you can probably imagine the objective is to see the highest number of species in Majorca (the other islands don’t count) during a natural year with an added bonus of a record being kept where you will be able to see every once else’s species count, this serving as motivation to go out  and find your species not seen yet.

Even though the idea was born within the group GORA from Albercutx, we invite anyone to participate; the rules are short and clear, the important thing is not winning but participating, the main idea to encourage birders to get out more and find that Alpine Accentor or Snow Finch on the top of that mountain in the Winter, or those scarce passing migrants during the Spring, etc; as a lot of us (me included) go out less each day.

Thus the objective is to encourage Majorcan birders outside to find out how many species can be seen by each individual participant during one natural year according to the following rules:

1.- The island of Majorca and the surrounding sea are the only valid areas that will count. Pelagic trips (by boat and chumming) will also count. Other islands including Cabrera and Dragonera are therefore excluded.

2.- The timeline is one natural year starting on the 1^st of January 2013 and finishing on the 31^st of December 2013.

3.- The winner will be the birder who sees the most species, always applying the bird watching “ethical code” whereas no species should be ticked unless 100% sure of the sighting.

4.- All wild species observed in their natural habitat will be valid, as will those species that have arrived naturally to the island or have been part of a reintroduction programme corresponding to A and B codes of the  Annex II of the AOB-26. Thus excluded are all escapees including those adapted to the environment (Monk Parakeet, Golden Eagle, Harris’s Hawk, Swans (ringed), Waxbill, Mandarin duck, etc.).

5.- Hybrids and Subspecies will not count (ex. Motacilla flava will only count once even though many different subspecies are seen)

6.- Birds seen at wildlife recovery centres, fairs, ringing stations, falconry exhibits, private collections and trapped by traditional nets by hunters will not count.

7.- Birds found dead (hunted, road kills, washed up, etc.) will only count in case of a tie.

8.- On the last day of every month each participant will send (if possible) an account of the species seen to date via the Albercutx group, Facebook or to any other address indicated (bigyearmallorca@gmail.com) to be able to keep an up to date tally of the classification and encourage the participation.

10.- Any doubts, controversies or claims will be decided by majority of the participants of “The Big Year”.