Migration Madness 2026

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 11th 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 14 — First Four (four games)

March 15-22 — Round of 64 (four games per day)

March 23-26 — Round of 32 (four games per day)

March 27-30 — Sweet Sixteen (two games per day)

March 31-3 — Elite Eight (one game per day)

April 4-5 — Final Four (one game per day)

April 6-7 — Championship (Two-day voting window)

Contestants

East Division

West Division

North Division

South

Previous Winners

  • 2025: Northern Saw-whet Owl

  • 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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First Four Games! Vote for your favorite and check back tomorrow for updates!

Magnolia Warbler VS Red-cockaded Woodpecker

Red-faced Warbler VS Black Skimmer

Magnolia Warbler VS Lark Bunting

Summer Tanager VS Indigo Bunting

Magnolia, Red-faced, Magnolia, Indigo

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Magnolia Warbler, Black Skimmer, Magnolia Warbler, Indigo Bunting

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Warbler, skimmer, warbler, bunting.

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Magnolia warbler
Black Skimmer
Lark bunting
Indigo bunting

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Warbler, Skimmer, Bunting, Bunting

(Had to pick the Lark Bunting; state bird and all.) :grin:

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Red-cockaded wp

Black skimmer

Lark bunting

Indigo bunting

Birdwhisperer, thanks for doing this again!

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Red-cockaded Woodpecker, red faced warbler, lark bunting, summer tanager

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Warbler, skimmer, bunting, bunting

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Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Black Skimmer, Magnolia Warbler, Indigo Bunting

Welcome to the community @poptart!

Today starts the first day of the Round 64. Here are four games to vote on!

American Kestrel VS Laughing Gull

Spotted Towhee VS Greater Roadrunner

Lewis’s Woodpecker VS Steller’s Jay

Painted Bunting VS Greater Sage-Grouse

I also just realized that I wrote Magnolia Warbler twice while tallying points! :laughing: The first one is Yellow-throated Warbler. I’m not sure what’s funnier, the fact I didn’t catch it, or that everyone wrote Mag for Yellow-throated! Cheers and good day to everyone!

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Laughing gull
Greater roadrunner
Steller’s jay
Sage-grouse

Kestrel, Roadrunner, Jay, grouse

kestrel, towhee, jay, bunting

American kestrel

Greater roadrunner

Lewis’s woodpecker

Greater sage grouse

Kestrel, Towhee, Jay, Sage-grouse

Round of 64, Day 2!

Wood Duck VS Wood Thrush

Black Skimmer VS Violet-green Swallow

Evening Grosbeak VS Canyon Wren

Inca Dove VS Common Nighthawk

Wood duck

Violet green swallow

Evening grosbeak

Common nighthawk