Has the Big Year record been broken yet? (1 Viewer)

D

devilbirder

Well-known member

• Mar 1, 2007

• #1

Hi all,
I have read the Big year many times now and found it a fantastic book but only recently I actually noticed the first chapter is titled January 1st 1998. I recall Sandy Komito broke the record, does anyone know if it has been broken yet.
Thanks much.

 

lockbreeze926

Well-known member

• Mar 1, 2007

• #2

IIRC, the book's theory was that it would never be broken because of the unrepeatable set of circumstances that all came together that year, resulting in a lot of highly unusual birds and a crazy total - can't recall what, but it was way above the total number of North American species and depended on scores of vagrants.

Then again, El Nino was "credited" with much of the unusual weather, and who among does not believe that our weather is ever wilder and more unpredictable?

 

AmpelisChinito

Cedar Waxwing Chairman

• Mar 2, 2007

• #3

It was 745 birds. BTW, I met someone a while back who knows Sandy Komito very well, which I thought was very cool.

 

dantheman

Bah humbug

• Mar 2, 2007

• #4

If I remember the other two guys doing itthat year had a total in the low 700's, still huge totals. Another factor making it more difficult to beat Sandy's total mentioned was the tightening up of cheap and immediate air travel after 9/11, which would make it less easy to travel flexibly.

Of course when the earth's magnetic field switches, interesting things could be seen for a while at least. . . ?

 

J

James Lowther

Well-known member

• Mar 2, 2007

• #5

I think the other two guys both managed top 10 figures.
I was rooting for the old guy but he never stood a chance!!

Another factor mentioned by the authors for the difficulty of ever repeating Komito's massive number was the "closing" of Attu, which anyone with a map can see is basically a bit of Asia in the USA.

So no more easy racking up of the sibes..