Rules
2023 Tournament Rules
All teams must follow the tournament rules for the Spring 2023 Birding Classic in order to have official standing in their tournament category. Some of the pre-pandemic tournament categories are back and some of the modifications you have experienced since 2020 are still here. Please review all rules for your selected tournament(s) so that you follow the rules in place for 2023.
Examples of rules to note (compared to the pre-pandemic Birding Classics) include the following (please review complete rules for all tournament details):
- The Adult Statewide Weeklong Tournament, Texas Two-Stop Tournament, and Outta-Sight Song Birder Tournament are all back again for 2023! These three tournament categories weren't offered 2020-2021, but they returned in 2022! All three are here again for 2023 and will be "Intact Flock" tournaments.
- Roughwings and Gliders Tournaments offer options: Regional "Intact Flock" Tournament categories or Statewide "Dispersed Flock" Tournament! There will still be a "Dispersed Flock" category option, but it will be offered as a statewide category.
- Human-Powered Tournament remains "Intact Flock" only this year. All team mates must bird together.
- GTBC recommends participants follow CDC travel recommendations and other relevant federal, state, and local restrictions and guidelines at the time of their tournament day. All local, state, and/or federal restrictions in place on your tournament day supersede any Birding Classic 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 2023 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.