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 Folks – 122 species
- The Israeli Champions of the Flyway – The Wallcreepers – 181 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 |