The 2024 I BIRD NY Challenge is back and Moreau Lake State Park is on the birding trail map!!! Use your observation skills and join the annual Challenge by identifying any 10 bird species of your choosing in New York State. Participants who successfully complete this fun challenge, will be awarded a commemorative patch, can download a completion certificate, and be entered into a drawing for great birding prizes! *
The challenge is open from March 1 through November 1, open to participants of all ages and abilities, and available in Spanish. Participants may also earn a bonus entry into the prize giveaway by submitting a photo documenting their experience completing the I BIRD NY Challenge.
To participate in the I BIRD NY Challenge, complete a Challenge Log online or download the I BIRD NY Challenge form (PDF), also available in Spanish (PDF).
Entries can be submitted online, mailed to I BIRD NY Challenge, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-1020, or emailed to BirdingChallenge@dec.ny.gov. Entries must be received by November 15.
Download the Beginner’s Guide to Birding HERE
Getting Started and Birding Resources
You don’t need a lot to get started birding-just a good pair of binoculars, a desire to be outdoors, and a destination. Some people like to use a checklist/life list of common species they might find around their home so they can keep track of what they have observed.
- Clements Checklist of Birds of the World– downloadable formats from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website.
- eBird– online tool by Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society to keep track of bird lists.
- Merlin Bird ID – a downloadable app to help identify the birds you see or hear.
- New York State Ornithological Association (NYSOA) – options to order copies or download and print a PDF document.
See our list of bird species fact sheets for information about some species you may see nearby.
This information is reposted from NYS DEC