Setting the Stage

                In the USA birding world, a big year is an annual competition to see the most species of birds in a particular geographic region. Traditionally that region is the ABA area,  a combination of the lower 48 states plus Canada and Alaska. Recently, Hawaii has been added to that definition. Other popular big years are state big years and county big years. So what is a “Biggest Year”?

First, a little history to set the stage appropriately. The first Big Year attempt was orchestrated by Roger Tory Peterson, The Father of American Birding, author of the Peterson Guide to Birds (1934), and inspiration for the Peterson Identification Guides published by Houghton Mifflin. His year-long effort in 1956 was chronicled in his book Wild America. He described observing more than 600 species while traveling throughout the USA and Canada, which became known as the ABA area, or the region served by the American Birding Association. 

In 1974, Kenn Kaufman was the first to attempt the coveted threshold of 700 species observed in a calendar year within the ABA Area. He wrote about his low budget quest in Kingbird Highway in which he hitched rides to his next birding destination, survived on cat food and slept under bridges. He didn’t quite make it to 700.

In modern times, dozens of competitive birders attempt to break the record each year. As of 2021, the record holders for the ABA area (Continental) and lower 48 Big Years are John Weigel and Tiffany Kersten with 781 and 725 species, respectively (source: eBird top 100). Including Hawaii, the ABA area record is 836 species held by John Weigel. However, to my knowledge no one has ever attempted to see 900 species in a calendar year in the United States and its territories including Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa and the northern Mariana islands. This expanded geographical region, “USA and Territories” hosts about a hundred more species available for observation, thereby earning such a big year attempt the title of the Biggest Year in USA Birding. 

Starting tomorrow, I will initiate my year-long attempt to accomplish this feat for the first time. Check back periodically to monitor my progress. If you would like to support my effort, join one of my trips, offered through Quetzal Tours. In January, seats are available for small group birding tours of Southern California, Texas, and Puerto Rico. More details at https://pbase.com/quetzal/bigyear.