On Saturday, May 9, 2026, the Rusty Bird Brains will be participating in New Jersey Audubon’s World Series of Birding, now in its 43rd year. It is the longest running birding competition and fundraiser in the US. 

Our team has been participating for many years - we've lost count! This year we will be searching for bird species starting before dawn in the area of the Great Swamp and Lord Stirling, hoping to hear some owls, rails, and nocturnally-singing songbirds. We will be finalizing our route from there via a Zoom team as we get closer to the Big Day, based on weather, migration, and tidal forecasts. Some considerations for our route are Garret Mountain and the Meadowlands or Scherman-Hoffmann Audubon Sanctuary, Negri-Napote, and Sandy Hook or Brigantine (Forsythe). We are excited to search for and discover as many avian species as possible in 24 hours. All birds are amazing, fascinating creatures!!  The information gained is entered in a scientific database called eBird and helps inform scientists about trends in bird populations and their health.

Birds are also in trouble - their numbers have been declining due to many factors, including habitat loss. Since 1970, North America as lost 30 billion birds,  and a study just published this year shows that the decline is accelerating!

Please consider donating to NJ Audubon on behalf of our team! They are an established, efficient organization who really cares about birds and all aspects of Nature. Your donations will be used by NJA wherever there is the most need. You can donate to them via the team or to individual team members. After you donate you will receive a confirmation email and we will let you know how our team performs on the Big Day!

Thank you!

The Rusty Bird Brains

Kathy Wydner, Team Captain