Migration Madness 2025

Nature Talk
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Hey folks, every March I’ve put on a fun voting competition to see who’s the most popular North American bird. This is the 10th year I’m doing it, and I generally have a good turnout on the iNat forum. If you would like to vote, just follow this thread on a day-to-day basis, comment the birds you like, and I’ll like your comment to denote your vote has been counted. We start this Saturday! Here’s the schedule and the brackets:

March 15 — First Four (four games)

March 16-23 — Round of 64 (four games per day)

March 24-27 — Round of 32 (four games per day)

March 28-31 — Sweet Sixteen (two games per day)

April 1-4 — Elite Eight (one game per day)

April 5-6 — Final Four (one game per day)

April 7-8 — Championship (Two-day voting window)

Contestants

East Division

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West Division
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North Division
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South Division
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Previous Winners

  • 2024: Wood Duck
  • 2023: Western Tanager
  • 2022: Burrowing Owl
  • 2021: American Kestrel
  • 2020: Harlequin Duck
  • 2019: Anna’s Hummingbird
  • 2018: Mountain Bluebird
  • 2017: Mountain Bluebird
  • 2016: Mountain Bluebird
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Woo! How do I vote?

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Migration Madness is now starting! All you have to do is comment your vote out of these four options!

Orchard Oriole vs. Piping Plover

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Emperor Goose vs. Curve-billed Thrasher

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Northern Flicker vs. Hooded Warbler

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Gray Hawk vs. Rivoli’s Hummingbird

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Plover, thrasher, flicker, hummingbird.

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Day 1 of the Round of 64. Who will be moving on in this round?

Wood Duck vs. Piping Plover

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Gambel’s Quail vs. Mountain Bluebird

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Northern Saw-whet Owl vs. Hooded Warbler

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Mexican Jay vs. Lazuli Bunting

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Plover, thrasher, flicker, hawk

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plover, bluebird, owl, bunting

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Wood Duck, Quail, Owl, Bunting

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Duck, quail, owl, bunting

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That time again!

Wood duck
Mtn blue
Saw-whet
Lazuli

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Wood Duck
Quail
Owl
Lazuli Bunting

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Plover, quail, owl, jay.

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Day 2 of the Round of 64!

American Kestrel vs. Northern Bobwhite

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Curve-billed Thrasher vs. Sandhill Crane

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Yellow Warbler vs. Broad-tailed Hummingbird

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Lucifer Hummingbird vs. Vermilion Flycatcher

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Kestrel
Crane
Yellow warbler
Vermilion

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Kestrel, crane, warbler, flycatcher.

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@giannamaria Bobwhite is up there!

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Kestrel
Crane
Hummingbird
Hummingbird

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AAAAH! This is so difficult!!! You happen to put all of my favorite birds together!

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Let me give it a try anyway. I’ll vote from the beginning if it is helpful.

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Sorry if I give too much explanations about my decisions, but I have to comment about my experience with many of these birds.

I would like to vote for the Piping Plover since it is my favorite plover but Orchard Orioles are my favorite oriole. They are gorgeous and have an extraordinary song. But I vote for Piping Plover.

Curve-billed Thrasher. It brings me nostalgia from when I was a kid.
Hooded Warbler. They’ve been so close to me.
Rivoli’s Hummingbird.

Piping Plover
Mountain Bluebird
Saw-whet Owl
Lazuli Bunting

American Kestrel
Curve-billed Thrasher
Yellow Warbler
Vermillion Flycatcher