Winners of statewide Kansas birds contest announced

TOPEKA (KSNT) – The holders of the “Kansas’ Top Birders” title have been revealed following the conclusion of the 2023 contest.

Nadia Marji with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) said in a press release that the top contestants of last year’s Kansas Birding Big Year contest are being announced. The competition asks participants to record the number of unique bird species they spot in the Sunflower State over the course of the year.

People taking part in the contest had from Jan. 1, 2023 to Dec. 31, 2023 to record their sightings and submit the results to the KDWP. Winners in the contest were recognized and awarded prizes in mid-January 2024 for their efforts.

For 2023, the top spot of Kansas’ Top Birder went to two individuals: youth participant Franklin Miller and senior participant Tom Cannon. The top winners for each category can be found below:

Adult, advanced

Malcom Gold – 318

Mark Nolen – 308

Jeff Calhoun – 284

Dan Broers – 270

Sam Schermerhorn – 220

Adult, intermediate

Jacob Riggs – 271

Corey Entriken – 269

Logan Smith – 260

Melissa Bruce – 244

Kevin Keltner – 241

Adult, novice

John Mahon – 132

Emma Skinner – 106

Beth Perkins – 64

Youth

Franklin Miller – 328

Hezekiah Swihart – 208

Nicholas Niewald – 146

Michaela Gold – 77

Danielle Gold – 15

Senior

Tom Cannon – 328

Carol Morgan – 250

Dan Larson – 220

Barbara Peterson – 211

Ann Tanner – 196

To sign on for the 2024 Kansas Birding Big Year contest, you’ll need to register online on or before April 1, 2024 using this link. All participants are required to log their findings on eBird by clicking here. To learn more about the contest and how to sign up, click here.

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