Champions of the Flyway 2017 – Results and final standings

Another Champions of the Flyway race is in the books. This year was amazing on many levels: New teams, great fundraising and a fantastic and dramatic race.

The Champions of the Flyway is not only a challenging bird race, actually the race is just the climax of months of fundraising and promotion. This year the COTF team joined forces with Doğa Derneği (Birdlife Turkey) in order to raise money to tackle the illegal killing of birds in Turkey. Teams of birders from all over the world spread the word and asked their respective crowds to donate to the cause. Over $60,000 were raised; money that will be implemented to several projects on the ground in turkey. These projects include enforcement work as well and mainly educational workshops with children, including targeted work with children of Syrian Refugees.

A full account of the race itself will follow soon but in the meantime here are the results, award winners and final standings of all teams.

Award winners and Flyway Champions:

  • The Champions of the Flyway – The ZEISS Arctic Redpolls – with 181 species
  • The Guardians of the Flyway – The Birding Ecotours Youth Africa Birders – €8835 raised
  • The Knights of the Flyway – The Birding Ecotours Youth Africa Birders
  • The “Green” Champions of the Flyway – The Spokes Folks122 species
  • The Israeli Champions of the Flyway – The Wallcreepers181 species
  • The Israeli Guardians of the Flyway – The JBO Orioles – close to 9000 NIS raised

Final standings and complete results of all participating teams:

The Divisions are International race (IN), Israel Race (IL) and Green race (G)

  Team Division # of species seen
1 The ZEISS Arctic Redpolls IN 181
2 The Wallcreepers IL 181
3 The Palestine Sunbirders IN 176
4 The Little Bastards IL 171
5 Team Doğa Derneği IN 170
6 The ZEISS Gavia Team IN 169
7 ZEISS Reservoir Birds IN 166
8 The Media Birders IN 163
9 Birding Africa Black Harriers IN 163
10 LEICA Cape May American Dippers IN 157
11 Team Vulture Conservation Foundation IN 155
12 LEICA Sempach Snowfinches IN 154
13 The Swallows (הסנוניות) IL 153
14 The Arava Eagles IL 153
15 The “Spectacled” הממושקפים IL 151
16 Bird Families of the world IL 149
17 Birding Ecotours Youth Africa Birders IN 144
18 LEICA Victorious Bird Nerds (VBN) IN 143
19 The Golden Pheasants IN 143
20 Desert Wheatears – סלעיות המדבר IL 141
21 Birdwatch Birdguides Roadrunners IN 140
22 Barbary Falcons – הבזים המדבריים IL 139
23 The Players – הפליירים IL 133
24 The Bee eaters – השרקרקים IL 129
25 The Po Delta Pygmies IN 124
26 The Spokes Folks G 122
27 The Terns – השחפיות G 119
28 The Hoopoe Larks האלימונים IL 118
29 The Safari Sea Eagles – עיטמי הספארי IL 114
30 The Desert Chickens – תרנגולי המדבר G 113
31 The JBO Orioles IL 109
32 The Goldfinches – חוחיות G 102
33 The Pratincoles – השדמיות G 99
34 The Artbirds IN 93