Scoring & editions
The formula
2 points for every confirmed sighting
+ 3 points when a photo or audio clip shows its key ID features
So a sighting is worth up to 5 points. This is not a photo contest: a blurry photo that shows the field marks counts, a sharp one that does not, doesn’t.
Worked example
A checklist with 30 species, 12 of them backed by a photo or audio: 30 × 2 + 12 × 3 = 96 points.
Try it
Score: points
What counts
- eBird checklists marked complete and shared with vtbm2026.
- Not flagged by eBird reviewers.
- Logged at one of the four hotspots: Vetal Tekdi (near ARAI), Panchavati, Mhatoba Hill, Bavdhan Hill.
- Within 5–12 Nov, 5 AM–7 PM.
- Your own photos and recordings, no AI-generated media.
Two categories
Best Checklist: the highest-scoring checklist.
Best Trip Report: an eBird trip report that brings your week together. Sketches, maps and notes are welcome.
2024 → 2025
| Metric | 2024, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Checklists | 54 2024 92 2025 |
| Species | 140 2024 164 2025 |
| Birding hours | 120 2024 274 2025 |
| Kilometres walked | 153 2024 251 2025 |
Every edition
2026
Edition 4 · 5–12 Nov 2026
Upcoming. Results after 12 November.
- European Roller, Common Cuckoo and Eurasian Hobby seen before the event
2025
Edition 3 · 5–12 Nov 2025
164 species · 92 checklists · 251 km
- Rusty-tailed Flycatcher, Western Yellow Wagtail, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Montagu's Harrier
- Volunteer team grew from 1 to about 15
- 164 species in a week; Sultanpur National Park logs 180–200 in peak winter
- Best Checklist 1
- Pankaj Inamdar
- Best Checklist 2
- Ashish Changole
- Best Checklist 3
- Harsh Salave, Samarth Kedilaya
- Best Trip Report 1
- Ketan B, Madhur V (630 points, 115 species)
- Best Trip Report 2
- Anupreeta Kumbhar, Shweta Kulkarni, Vasudha Kulkarni (533 points)
- Best Trip Report 3
- Samay Srivastava, Manish Srivastava (353 points)
- Young Birder Award
- Shaurya Anand
Photo: VTBM 2024
Edition 2 · 5–12 Nov 2024
140 species · 54 checklists · 153 km
- Maharashtra's first European Honey-buzzard, on day one
- Audio recordings joined photos as evidence
- 40+ birders registered
- VTBM Champion
- Ketan Bhave (98% of sightings backed by photo or audio)
- Best Trip Report
- Nachiket Likhite, Pratik Pal, Shaunak Deshpande (100 species)
- Special mention
- Shamik Parab (European Honey-buzzard)
Photo: Ranjeet Rane 2023
Edition 1 · 5–12 Nov 2023
111 species · 8 checklists
- Five birders birded all seven days
- Eurasian Wryneck, Egyptian Vulture, Gray-necked Bunting, Taiga Flycatcher
- Two beginner trails with 30+ first-time birders
- VTBM Champion
- Pankaj Inamdar
Photo: VTBM
How the format came about, in the organiser’s words: The nuts and bolts of “Running” a birding marathon (Bird Count India).