The Cornell Lab of Ornithology's competitive birding team won the annual World Series of Birding May 12-13 with 230 species sightings and soundings -- knocking out rival competitors for the third year in a row. The five-member team, dubbed "The Sapsuckers," spent a sleepless search in the wilds of New Jersey tracking activities of migrating and local birds over a weekend when just one evening heralded the arrival or departure of numerous species.

"It's a fairly grueling contest, and we traveled 600-700 miles a day picking our spots," said Ken Rosenberg, director of conservation science at the Lab of Ornithology. "We were one bird shy of the all-time record."

The World Series of Birding has been staged for more than 20 years, and the Cornell lab has taken part every year. The Sapsuckers plan for the event months in advance and spend the preceding week scouting the Garden State -- the home of the Audubon Society -- for the whereabouts of key breeders and unpredictable migrant species.

Indeed, the Cornell team identified the calls of 10 species within minutes of arrival.

The Sapsuckers' identification of 230 species was a new record for the team and just one species shy of the all-time record for the event. Their nearest rivals tallied 227 species, with major competitors the Delaware Valley Ornithological Society and Connecticut Audubon tied at that number.

For more information, e-mail cornellbirds@cornell.edu or visit http://www.birds.cornell.edu/wsb.