The Question of Honesty

The first thing that most people ask me once I tell them about the World Series of Birding, is "How do you know everyone is being honest about how many birds they count?   Wouldn't it be easy to cheat?" 

I'm sure most birders who compete in this event get asked this question and are just as flummoxed as I am at how skeptical people are in regards to our collective honesty.  My usual response is twofold.  I first  tell them that there is really no incentive to cheat as we would just be cheating ourselves.  It is an event that chiefly raises money for conservation and in no way lines the pockets of those competing.  Those of us without corporate sponsorship lose money during count weekend and do it sheerly out of our love of birding and not a sense of oneupmanship, although I would love to beat one of the "elite" teams.  Secondly, if any team were to come out on top one year with "suspicious" birds on their list, they would immediately attract attention.  If a rare bird is seen by only one group on count day and not seen  by anyone else on count day or the next day, it would be circumspect as well.

Admittedly, some years mistakes are made by every team in identifying birds.  There are probably times when a team member shouts out "Canada Warbler" upon hearing a distant call, and maybe the others thought they heard something that sounded roughly like a Canada Warbler and agree to count it, although they never would have counted it had not one of them called it out.  That is bending the rules a bit, but I don't think it happens often.. 

Most of us work very hard to get it right and make sure all of us "get" the bird.  I remember last year when the other 3 guys heard the Piping Plover call but I missed it.  There followed the 10 minute walk further down the beach to see the bird so that we all could count it.  That 10 minutes was very valuable and we might have gotten a few more birds had we moved on.

Of course, next year our team will be the only team to report the Black-tailed Gull, Eskimo Curlew, and Red-footed Falcon that are not seen the next day either, and we win the competition by 3 birds.  I'll have to bring my camera.

11:55 AM - Tuesday, November 22, 2005 - post comment