California Fall Challenge Mewaldt Cup Bird-a-Thon Official Rules
Timing
All Mewaldt Cup Competition teams must begin and end competition birding between midnight and midnight on a single calendar day, during the span of SFBBO’s California Fall Challenge (CFC) event. Eligible days are September 14 through October 13, 2019. Team results must be received by SFBBO by 5 pm on October 14, 2019.
Registration, Fee, and Submission of Results
Please register with SFBBO prior to your competition day by clicking on the "Register for the CFC" button below. We realize that the outing date may change due to weather conditions.
For a team to be eligible for the Mewaldt Cup, each competing team member must make a $50 tax deductible registration donation. Other fundraising may not be used to pay for the Mewaldt Cup registration this year. Each team member may also receive the 2019 CFC T-Shirt with their donation.
To submit your results, mail or email your team's results list to SFBBO (cfc@sfbbo.org; phone: 408-946-6548 ext. 2). Team results must be received by 5 pm on Monday, October 14, 2019, to be eligible for the Mewaldt Cup and associated prizes. E-mail messages will be replied to upon receipt; participants using mail are urged to confirm that their information was received with a phone call. Your submission must include:
Mewaldt Cup Scoring and Awards
The Mewaldt Cup winner will be the team who observed the greatest number of species. The winning team will be notified by Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2019. A member of the winning team must be present at the Annual Membership Meeting on Sunday, October 27, 2019, at the Shoup Park Garden House in Los Altos, CA, to accept the Mewaldt Cup.
What Can Be Counted
Birds that can be counted must be full species as defined by the most recent ABA Area Checklist (refer to ABA Listing Rules and interpretation) and must be a species on the current California checklist as defined by the California Bird Records Committee. Species may be identified by sight or sound. All birds counted must be alive, wild, and unrestrained. Sick and injured birds may be counted. Eggs do not count as birds. A bird identified to one species group (i.e. dowitcher spp.) may be counted as a species only if no other in that group is counted. Escaped captive birds may not be counted for the purposes of this event.
Geographic Area
All Mewaldt Cup Competition team trips must be conducted within the State of California. Birding on private property is allowed, but must be arranged with proper permits, in advance, with the property owner. Trespassing is grounds for disqualification.
Travel
Travel can be conducted using any type of vehicle except for aircraft. Participants are not all required to travel within the same vehicle.
Participant Conduct
All conduct is in accordance with the ABA’s Big Day rules. Non-birder participants may accompany the team and assist in driving and recording duties, but may not assist in locating and identifying birds. Use of tapes in the field is allowed if they are used sparingly and with due regard for the welfare of the birds. Ninety-five percent of species counted must be identified independently by all team members. It is not necessary that all team members identify the same bird. All members of teams must be in visual and natural-voice contact with one another at all times that birds are being counted. You may scout prior to the event, but you may not “stake out” birds using non-team members on the day of the outing.
Teams must comply with the laws of the State of California, as well as any county and municipal laws. You may not exceed posted speed limits or trespass on private property. All team members must comply with the ABA Birding Code of Ethics at all times.
Any violation of these rules subjects a participant or the entire team to disqualification. The CFC Committee will review any infractions or controversies and their decisions will be considered final.
All Mewaldt Cup Competition teams must begin and end competition birding between midnight and midnight on a single calendar day, during the span of SFBBO’s California Fall Challenge (CFC) event. Eligible days are September 14 through October 13, 2019. Team results must be received by SFBBO by 5 pm on October 14, 2019.
Registration, Fee, and Submission of Results
Please register with SFBBO prior to your competition day by clicking on the "Register for the CFC" button below. We realize that the outing date may change due to weather conditions.
For a team to be eligible for the Mewaldt Cup, each competing team member must make a $50 tax deductible registration donation. Other fundraising may not be used to pay for the Mewaldt Cup registration this year. Each team member may also receive the 2019 CFC T-Shirt with their donation.
To submit your results, mail or email your team's results list to SFBBO (cfc@sfbbo.org; phone: 408-946-6548 ext. 2). Team results must be received by 5 pm on Monday, October 14, 2019, to be eligible for the Mewaldt Cup and associated prizes. E-mail messages will be replied to upon receipt; participants using mail are urged to confirm that their information was received with a phone call. Your submission must include:
- Team Name
- Team Members
- Species List
Mewaldt Cup Scoring and Awards
The Mewaldt Cup winner will be the team who observed the greatest number of species. The winning team will be notified by Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2019. A member of the winning team must be present at the Annual Membership Meeting on Sunday, October 27, 2019, at the Shoup Park Garden House in Los Altos, CA, to accept the Mewaldt Cup.
What Can Be Counted
Birds that can be counted must be full species as defined by the most recent ABA Area Checklist (refer to ABA Listing Rules and interpretation) and must be a species on the current California checklist as defined by the California Bird Records Committee. Species may be identified by sight or sound. All birds counted must be alive, wild, and unrestrained. Sick and injured birds may be counted. Eggs do not count as birds. A bird identified to one species group (i.e. dowitcher spp.) may be counted as a species only if no other in that group is counted. Escaped captive birds may not be counted for the purposes of this event.
Geographic Area
All Mewaldt Cup Competition team trips must be conducted within the State of California. Birding on private property is allowed, but must be arranged with proper permits, in advance, with the property owner. Trespassing is grounds for disqualification.
Travel
Travel can be conducted using any type of vehicle except for aircraft. Participants are not all required to travel within the same vehicle.
Participant Conduct
All conduct is in accordance with the ABA’s Big Day rules. Non-birder participants may accompany the team and assist in driving and recording duties, but may not assist in locating and identifying birds. Use of tapes in the field is allowed if they are used sparingly and with due regard for the welfare of the birds. Ninety-five percent of species counted must be identified independently by all team members. It is not necessary that all team members identify the same bird. All members of teams must be in visual and natural-voice contact with one another at all times that birds are being counted. You may scout prior to the event, but you may not “stake out” birds using non-team members on the day of the outing.
Teams must comply with the laws of the State of California, as well as any county and municipal laws. You may not exceed posted speed limits or trespass on private property. All team members must comply with the ABA Birding Code of Ethics at all times.
Any violation of these rules subjects a participant or the entire team to disqualification. The CFC Committee will review any infractions or controversies and their decisions will be considered final.