The Birding Club at Cornell spread its wings at the first competition of the school year at the annual Montezuma Muckrace, held in Montezuma, NY on Sept. 6 and 7. The Montezuma Muckrace is an overnight competition where recreational, collegiate and family teams compete to find the most bird species in 24 hours. In the birding community, a 24-hour birding competition is known as a “Big Day.” The competition took place in the Montezuma Wetlands Complex, a designated wildlife refuge and one of the most prominent bird migration routes in the region.
The Birding Club at Cornell sent six teams of birders to this year’s Muckrace. Team members worked together to identify as many different species as possible, birding during the night and into the early morning. Cornell’s top team came in second place with 121 species. The winning team identified 131 species.
Trip chair Brian Hofstetter ’26, who organizes the Birding Club at Cornell’s travel, described the competition as a laid-back event where competitors were supportive of each other, a hallmark of the birding community.
“Every time we would stop somewhere, someone from another team would tell us about a bird they just saw,” Hofstetter said. “There’s a lot of camaraderie there.”
The Muckrace began at sunset, so many teams quickly sought birds that are active at night. Marsh birds such as the Sora, Virginia Rail and American Bittern were common finds. Many teams also saw owl species including the Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl and Eastern Screech Owl, according to Hofstetter. The Muckrace allowed birders only minimal equipment — binoculars, cameras, a telescope and a spotting scope. Without any apps, recorders or automatic identifiers, competitors had to rely on their birding knowledge to identify species.
“We have people who know a lot about these birds and can identify them just by sound,” said Matthew Gilbert ’26, an experienced birder and the treasurer of Birding Club at Cornell.
Gilbert, whose team finished in fifth, mainly saw birds he expected for the Western New York region. He was surprised, however, to see one Ruddy Turnstone, a sandpiper usually found on the coast.
The Birding Club at Cornell returned from the Montezuma Muckrace excited for the year ahead and busy with club events, according to Gilbert. The student-run organization has scheduled weekly bird walks around Beebe Lake, campus Big Day competitions and monthly overnight trips to nearby birding hotspots. The next big event is an overnight trip to Braddock Bay on Oct. 19.
“The events are for fun, but also for teaching,” Gilbert said. “We learn by experience, being out there looking at birds together.”
Club events like the Montezuma Muckrace culminate in Birding Club’s biggest competition of the year — the World Series of Birding, hosted in New Jersey. The World Series attracts birders from across the country to compete for the prestigious winning title. Most competitors, including those from the Birding Club at Cornell, do not sleep, sit down to eat or even take bathroom breaks during the 24-hour period, according to Gilbert. Training is intense — those participating make quizzes, practice identifying sounds and even build their endurance by running. This past year, the Birding Club at Cornell tied for first with 213 species. The Cornell team looks to maintain its winning streak again when the World Series rolls around in May.
Until then, the birders will continue hosting campus events. In the past month, they held a beginner walk for new birders as well as the first campus Big Day, which took place on Sept. 19. The Birding Club at Cornell welcomes all students, regardless of experience. Members can choose which events they attend, whether they go every week or once a year. With over 700 members, Birding Club at Cornell is one of the largest student-run clubs on campus.
Hofstetter attributes the club’s success to the welcoming community it fosters.
“Everyone is super inclusive,” Hofstetter said. “We all share an enthusiastic love for birds and nature. I’ve found my best friends here.”
Marissa Gaut can be reached at [email protected].