Big Day Results 2008
The Smithsonian team, from left to right Mike Braun, Dave Ziolkowski, and Chris Milensky, attempted to find as many different kinds of birds as they could within the boundaries of Washington, D.C. on May 3, 2008 as part of a fundraising effort for Smithsonian Ornithology.
- 128 total species were found
- 24 warblers
- 8 species of shorebirds
- 7 species of gulls, including Franklin's
- Nation’s symbols seen in nation’s capital: bald eagle (and wild turkey, Ben Franklin’s preference for the nation’s symbol)
View the checklistThe day began at 4 a.m. in Rock Creek Park with the search for owls and other nocturnal birds and continued to Fletcher's Boathouse, Constitution Gardens, Hains Point, Poplar Point, Anacostia River Park, Arboretum, Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens and Park, Fort DuPont, and finished up again in Rock Creek Park.
Some of the more unusual birds found include: ring-necked and ruddy ducks, red-breasted merganser, horned grebe, great egret, peregrine falcon, lesser black-backed and franklin's gulls, willow flycatcher, summer tanager, and lincoln's sparrow.
This effort was aided greatly by the generous support of our corporate sponsor, Bushnell Outdoor Products
This event helped raise vital funds to help Smithsonian ornithologists train the next generation of scientists and to study and protect birds throughout the world.
You can still help us by pledging, follow the link below.