1. Counting
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   1. Count only full species as defined by the current American Ornithologist's Union seventh (AOU) checklist (1998).

   2. Birds must be conclusively identified by sight or sound. A bird identified as one of a species or group (i.e. scaup, either Greater or Lesser) may be counted as a species if no other bird in that group appears on your list. For example: Dowitcher sp. counts as one bird. Short-billed Dowitcher and dowitcher sp. still counts as just one bird species.

   3. Birds of questionable origin, as well as introduced or reintroduced species may be counted providing that they appear on the current Virginia Society of Ornithology (VSO) official list. Any disputes over applicable species will be settled by the Kiptopeke Challenge judges. For example: Ring-necked Pheasant and Mute Swan are still countable, whereas Monk Parakeet is uncountable under this rule.

   4. Birds counted must be alive, wild, and unrestrained. Sick or injured birds may be counted.

   5. Electronic or recorded bird calls may not be used to attract birds or entice them to vocalize during the event or while scouting prior to the event. Bird tapes may be used to help in the identification of birds and may be included among your gear, but tapes are restricted to vehicles and may only be used as a reference when teams are not in the field, but are traveling between destinations. Tapes may not be used while teams are actively birding.

   6. Spotlighting is prohibited at all times during the Kiptopeke Challenge and while scouting prior to the event.

   7. All birds must be identified by at least two members of a team.

      Ninety-five percent of all birds recorded by a team must be identified by the entire team. The remaining 5% may be identified by two or more members.

   8. It is not necessary for all team members to record the same individual bird. For example: if three members of a team hear a Belted Kingfisher and a fourth member does not, but manages to see another Belted Kingfisher later in the day, then Belted Kingfisher has been recorded unanimously.

   9. Those species with state and federally designated "threatened" or "endangered" status should be treated accordingly. See the ABA Ethics guidelines, below.

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2. Time
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   All counting must begin and end between midnight and midnight of a single calendar day, twenty-four hours, designated as The Day. The competition will be held on September 12, 1998.

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3. Geographic Area
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   1. Only birds seen in Accomack and Northampton Counties, Virginia, and from the northern two islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel District (no county designation) may be counted. A letter of permission is required to stop on these islands (see registration materials).

   2. Both the bird and the birder have to be in the same state (Virginia) at the same time (birds seen in Maryland from Virginia do not count).

   3. The teams may begin and end their route anywhere on The Day, but if not arriving at the finish line at Kiptopeke State Park at midnight must phone their species total to the appropriate phone number not later than 11:59:59.

   4. Birds seen in the Chesapeake Bay, or in the Atlantic Ocean, to a distance of 200 miles from the nearest point of land in Virginia, may be counted.

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4. Travel
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   1. All vehicles except aircraft may be used.
   2. Team members must remain at distances which permit direct, unamplified voice contact at all times. Voice contact is defined as shouting distance. Electronic voice transmission in any form is prohibited.
   3. Participants are not required to travel in the same vehicle so long as there is compliance with Rule IVb.

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5. Participants
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   1. Teams must consist of a minimum of three with a maximum of six members.
   2. Any number of non-birding participants and media personnel may accompany the team, but these participants may not assist the team in any way with the location or identification of birds. A designated driver who is not a team member may not assist with the location or identification of birds.

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6. Conduct
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   1. Each of the members of the team must count only birds personally identified beyond a doubt.
   2. Team members must be familiar and willing to comply with the rules of the competition before the event.
   3. No team may intentionally flush or drive into hiding any bird to prevent another team from finding it. This means you!
   4. Team members must follow federal and state laws, for example: speed limits and laws against trespass on private property or posted areas on wildlife refuges. Please note that Virginia is a private land state, and trespassing is considered a serious offense. If you will be birding on private lands, you must obtain permission from the land owner before the event.

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7. Outside Information
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   1. During the competition, teams must make every reasonable effort to avoid receiving bird-finding help from other sources. Phone, radio contact and prearranged field encounters (except those encounters whose purpose is to gain access or entry to private or restricted areas) are not permitted.
   2. Exceptions to Rule VIIa: The bird sighting sheets at national wildlife refuges and other locations where bird sighting sheets are regularly found may be referenced during the Kiptopeke Challenge providing information appearing on these sheets has not been prearranged.

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8. Ethics
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   Each participant is required to maintain proper birding ethics at all times as defined in the ABA Code of Ethics, a copy of which is found at the conclusion of these Rules.

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9. Scoring
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   1. Teams that fail to meet the midnight deadline will forfeit one bird from their Official Total for every full five-minute period that they are late.
   2. Totals are considered final at midnight of The Day. At this time each team is submit its score sheet or to phone in totals to the appropriate phone contact. No alterations or corrections may be made after this has been done.
   3. Winning is accomplished by identifying the most species of birds.
   4. All species which are considered "review" species by the Virginia Avian Records Committee (VARCOM) and all species not listed on the official Kiptopeke Challenge Checklist should be documented on a "VARCOM" Report Form. A copy of this form and a copy of the "Birds of Virginia's Eastern Shore" in which all review species are marked will be distributed to all team members. The deadline for written documentation will be one week following the midnight deadline that ends the competition. Final verification (photographs, tapes, or specimens) is due to VARCOM within this week as well. Decisions concerning these "review" species will be made by the panel of judges appointed for the Kiptopeke Challenge. If for whatever reason documentation of the these species by the team is found to be deficient, that species will be deducted from the overall total submitted by the team. In the event that such a deduction changes the standing of a team awarded a prize, the prize will be conferred on the appropriate team.

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10. Prize Categories
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    1. Sponsored and unsponsored teams compete in the following categories:
       1. Most Species Observed (Woodcock Prize)
       2. Most Money Raised for Conservation (Plover Prize)
       3. Most Outlandish Encounter (Booby Prize)
    2. In the event of a tie between two teams, the place and any award will be shared.

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11. Call of Foul
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    1. A team which, in the course of the event, observes what it perceives to be an infraction of the Kiptopeke Challenge Rules by another team may file a written protest to the Kiptopeke Challenge Coordinator. A review panel, drawn from Kiptopeke Challenge participants and KESTREL staff, will consider the charges. Because of time considerations, a call of foul may not affect team standings at the Awards Breakfast; however, the panel is empowered to disqualify a team within ten days of the competition if evidence warrants.
    2. The decision of the review panel is considered final.

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12. Eligibility, Fees and Deadlines
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    1. The Kiptopeke Challenge is open to all birders.
    2. All team members, including designated drivers, must pay a registration fee of $40 per person for competing, in addition to the sponsor's fee for Sponsored Teams (below).
    3. Teams are encouraged to secure sponsors or co-sponsors for the event. Sponsors will pay a $500 registration for the team. Teams can work with their sponsor on additional travel expenses.
    4. Teams seeking sponsorship may obtain financial backing from organizations such as: a birding club, a state Audubon society or chapter, a non-profit organization, a business or corporate enterprise, or an individual.
    5. Teams are also encouraged to solicit per-species pledges, as on a traditional Bird-a-thon, in addition to participant fees and sponsor registration fee. Additional contributions to KESTREL such as these have been the means for most teams to win the Plover Prize in past years.
    6. All registrations and payments must be postmarked by August 25, 1998. Teams will be charged an additional $25 per person for late registration.
    7. All participants (team members and those people accompanying teams) must sign, date, and submit an "Entry Agreement" prior to The Day. Agreements may be faxed to (804) 924-6700. Individuals who fail to comply have no standing as participants, cannot win or receive prizes, and disqualify their team.

Everyone who enjoys birds and birding must always respect wildlife, its environment, and the rights of others. In any conflict of interest between birds and birders, the welfare of the environment comes first.

1. Promote the welfare of birds and their environment.

   1 (a) Support the protection of important bird habitat.

   1 (b) To avoid stressing birds or exposing them to danger, exercise restraint and caution during observation, photography, sound recording, or filming.

   Limit the use of recordings and other methods of attracting birds, and never use such methods in heavily birded areas or for attracting any species that is Threatened, Endangered, or of Special Concern, or is rare in your local area.

   Keep well back from nests and nesting colonies, roosts, display areas, and important feeding sites. In such sensitive areas, if there is a need for extended observation, photography, filming. or recording, try to use a blind or hide, and take advantage of natural cover.

   Use artificial light sparingly for filming or photography, especially for close-ups.

   1 (c) Before advertising the presence of a rare bird, evaluate the potential for disturbance to the bird, its surroundings, and other people in the area, and proceed only if access can be controlled, disturbance can be minimized, and permission has been obtained from private land-owners. The sites of rare nesting birds should be divulged only to the proper conservation authorities. I (d) Stay on roads, trails, and paths where they exist; otherwise keep habitat disturbance to a minimum.

2. Respect the law and the rights of others.

   2(a) Do not enter private property without the owner's explicit permission.

   2(b) Follow all laws, rules. and regulations governing use of roads and public areas, both at home and abroad.

   2(c) Practice common courtesy in contacts with other people. Your exemplary behavior will generate goodwill with birders and non-birders alike.

3. Ensure that feeders, nest structures, and other artificial bird environments are safe.

   3(a) Keep dispensers, water, and food clean and free of decay or disease. it is important to feed birds continually during harsh weather.

   3(b) Maintain and clean nest structures regularly.

   3(c) If you are attracting birds to an area, ensure the birds are not exposed to predation from cats and other domestic animals, or dangers posed by artificial hazards.

4. Group birding, whether organized or impromptu, requires special care.

   Each individual in the group, in addition to the obligations spelled out in Items #1 and #2, has responsibilities as a Group Member.

   4(a) Respect the interests, rights, and skills of fellow birders as well as those of people participating in other legitimate outdoor activities. Freely share your knowledge and experience, except where code I (c) applies. Be especially helpful to beginning birders.

   4(b) If you witness any unethical birding behavior, assess the situation and intervene if you think it prudent. When interceding, inform the person(s) of the inappropriate action and attempt, within reason, to have it stopped. If the behavior continues, document it and notify appropriate individuals or organizations.

   Group Leader Responsibilities (amateur and professional trips and tours).

   4(c) Be an exemplary ethical role model for the group. Teach through word and example.

   4(d) Keep groups to a size that limits impact on the environment and does not interfere with others using the same area.

   4(e) Ensure everyone in the group knows of and practices this code.

   4(f) Learn and inform the group of any special circumstances applicable to the areas being visited (e.g., no tape recorders allowed).

   4(g) Acknowledge that professional tour companies bear a special responsibility to place the welfare of birds and the benefits of public knowledge ahead of the company's commercial interests. Ideally, leaders should keep track of tour sightings, document unusual occurrences, and submit records to appropriate organization.