Nebraska Birding Bowl Rules

All Category Requirements:

Rules & Registration

All adult team members have read the Birding Bowl rules on this webpage
All adult team members have registered through the Nebraska Birding Guide website (April 1- May 31)
At least one adult team member has an eBird account – only eBird Checklists and Trip Reports are accepted (exception of Fledgling Flock category)
At least one adult (18+) is on the team
Compete on only one team (exception of adults leading a Fledgling Flock team)
Team members must bird together and stay within voice contact but can bird with other teams. Follow the American Birding Association Code of Ethics

Observe & Identify Birds

Observe (by sight or sound) your categories’ required number of bird species during May
Only count birds you can positively identify using general labels (e.g., “sparrow sp.”) if unsure

Attend a Nebraska Bird Month Program

At least one team member has attended one or more Nebraska Bird Month programs (in person or online)

Submit eBird Checklists

Your team has met your categories’ required number of eBird checklists
Submit final checklists via eBird by 11:59 p.m. Central daylight time on May 31 (Only one person per team creates a checklist per location)
Adding your team name in the checklist comments section is not a requirement, but can be helpful for tracking your NE Birding Bowl lists
Unlike previous years, you will not share each completed checklist with a category account. However, you must still complete checklists to include in your final Trip Report, which should be shared with ngpc.birdingbowl@nebraska.gov

Create your eBird Trip Report

After submitting your last competition checklist, one team member must create an eBird Trip Report including only checklists in Nebraska during May of this year. Your trip report is a single website link generated on eBird.
Each team should submit one trip report, not individual reports from each teammate.
Please have your eBird Trip Report settings as public or view-only when submitting the link.
The Trip Report narrative includes:
- Your team name
- Names of adult team members
- The name of the Nebraska Bird Month program you attended
- One thing you learned from the program
Email the Trip Report link to ngpc.birdingbowl@nebraska.gov with the subject:
“[Your Team Name] – “Your Category Trip Report” by June 4, 2025.

Additional Category-Specific Requirements:

Category	Minimum Species Observation	Category-specific Rules	Prize
Fledgling Flock (youth/family)	10	• Adults record birds observed on at least one checklist • Youth create artwork or write about birds they observed – submit by June 4th to ngpc.birdingbowl@nebraska.gov • Exceptions: eBird not required for Fledgling Flock category, adult Fledgling Flock participants can also participate in other categories/teams	Youth birding kit (drawing)
Backyard Birder (home-based/accessible)	10	• Team consists of members from a single household • Submit your eBird Trip Report with a minimum of five eBird checklists from your home	Bird feeding setup (pole, feeder, & seed) (drawing)
Dabbling Birder (beginner/intermediate)	20	• Submit your eBird Trip Report with a minimum of five eBird checklists • At least one of the five checklists must be from a location listed on the Nebraska Birding Guide map	Vortex Diamondback binoculars (drawing)
Competitive Birder (advanced/high species count)	50	• If a species is flagged by eBird as rare, additional documentation (photo or sound) is required. Written descriptions will not be acceptable for this category • Submit your eBird Trip Report with a minimum of ten eBird checklists • Submit at least three checklists from a location listed on the Nebraska Birding Guide map	• Observe a minimum of 50 species: Bird field guides (drawing) • Observe a minimum of 100 species: $500 cash (drawing) • Observe a minimum of 150 species: $1,000 cash (drawing)

Additional Prize

In any category, participants who meet the category requirements will be entered into a drawing for a two-night cabin stay at Ponca State Park or Niobrara State Park. Stay will need to be completed by May 31 of the following year.

Please Note:

Please write down your team name, you will not receive a confirmation copy of your registration form.
You cannot change categories after registering, please plan accordingly.
Birds must be wild, unrestrained, alive, and viewed in Nebraska.
Only full species count (e.g., Dark-eyed Junco, not White-winged Junco).
If identifying a bird group (e.g., “yellowlegs sp.”), it counts only if no other species from that group appears on your list.
Prize winners will be notified and must claim prizes by June 13, 2025.
Birding Bowl staff retains the right to evaluate the integrity of teams’ bird lists and may request more information to support observations.
Winners are randomly drawn by a random number generator after the Trip Report deadline above. Winners are announced on the Nebraska Watchable Wildlife Facebook page, through your registration email, and posted below.

2025 Birding Bowl Winners

Fledgling Flock Category – Jenny Paden (Team High Flyers) and her three youth participants were randomly drawn to win the youth birding kits!
Backyard Birder Category – With 37 species and 31 checklists, Melissa Hewitt (Team Melissa Hewitt) was randomly drawn to win the bird feeding setup! (pictured in left photo)
Dabbling Birder Category – With 36 species and 6 checklists, Sarah Alonso (Team Alonso) was randomly drawn to win a pair of Vortex Diamondback binoculars!
Competitive Birder Category – Three tiers of winners:
- With 151 species and 61 checklists, surpassing her 50 species minimum requirement – Glenda Burgess (Team Cheep Thrills) was randomly drawn to win a set of bird field guides!
- With 185 species and 114 checklists, also surpassing the 100 species minimum requirement – Boni Edwards (Team NPBirder) was randomly drawn to win the $500 prize!
- With 181 and 80 checklists, again surpassing the 150 species minimum requirement – Judson Buescher (Team Judsonian Godwit) was randomly drawn to win the $1,000 grand prize! (pictured in right photo)
Additional Prize Drawing – By completing any category requirements, Brenda Guillen (Team Dog Walker) was randomly selected for a two-night stay at either Niobrara or Ponca State Park.

While it is fun to announce winners and add a little friendly competition, the Birding Bowl winners are selected at random by a random number generator. Winners are not based on who saw the most species, the rarest bird, or logged the most checklists. By completing your category requirements, your team is entered into the drawing.

The true purpose of the Birding Bowl is to raise awareness and support for Nebraska’s wildlife, their habitats, and the importance of conservation. Thanks to you all – your support, your sightings, and your stories – we have met that goal!

Whether you were birding from your backyard or exploring a new state park, your participation made a difference.

Stay tuned for future events, and we hope to see you again next year!