Rules

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2024 Tournament Rules

2023 birders

All teams must follow the tournament rules for the Spring 2024 Birding Classic in order to have official standing in their tournament category. Please review all rules for your selected tournament(s) so that you follow the rules in place for 2024.

There are two big changes for this year (please review complete rules for all tournament details):

  • The Sunrise to Noon Tournament is now a Regional Tournament! Your team must select which region your team will bird during your Sunrise to Noon half-day event. This will no longer be a statewide event, instead having teams within the same region compete against each other (similar to the Regional Big Day, Big Sit!, and Roughwings Tournaments).
  • A new rule on AI-assisted binoculars and identification apps has been added (Rule I. J.) to clear up any confusion on how apps and AI should be used during the tournament in terms of identification and what to count.

Please pay special attention to the following definitions and rules:

  • "Dispersed Flock" teams include team members who may be located anywhere in Texas or in their selected region (depending on if they're entering a statewide or regional tournament). Several tournament categories will offer this option.
  • “Intact Flock” teams include team members willing and able to travel together during their tournament day.
  • Big Sit! teams select a 50-foot diameter circle from which to bird. Any number of birders may be in your Big Sit! circle at a time. Teams can plan shifts to allow for social distancing.
  • All rules, terms, and conditions are subject to change up to and including during the dates of the event to comply with federal, state, and/or local restrictions and quickly evolving best practices. Complete rules for the 2024 Birding Classic can be found online.
  • The 95% Rule will not apply in any "Dispersed Flock" tournament categories nor to the Big Sit! In "Dispersed Flock" tournament categories, team members will be remote from one another, so it is up to fellow members to accept or question any dubious identifications before adding them to the team's official tournament day checklist. Big Sit! teams continue to only need a single team member to see/identify a species for it to count.
  • The 95% rule applies only to the "Intact Flock" categories. This means 95% of all birds recorded by an "Intact Flock" team must be tallied and identified by all members of the team. All birds must be identified by at least two members of a team. Identification made by only one team member can never be counted. Ninety-five percent of all birds recorded by a team must be identified by the entire team. The remaining 5 percent may be identified by two or more members.

Additional Resources: