How many bird species can be seen in York County in a single year? A dedicated birder can tally 200 or more with reasonable effort, but what if a bunch of birders ranging from casual watchers to serious listers contributed to a single collective list?

That’s the question behind the Quest for 300. Back in 2011, we wondered if it was even possible for such a single-year tally to occur in York County alone, but on our second year trying we made it. We have continued tracking each year, because birds are unpredictable.

Originally, we monitored eBird, maine-birds, and our comments section to update the list, keeping records in a separate spreadsheet. In 2018, we began relying upon eBird’s tally. Over time, we’ve seen eBird annual totals rise and fall with taxonomic splits and lumps… and as more birders catch up on entering old checklists. 

Update February 23, 2025

The 2024 chart has been recalibrated. The bars now indicate the current total in eBird for each year since 2010. These totals include “Exotic: Naturalized” species (like European Starling), but do not include “Exotic: Escapee” species (like Ring-necked Pheasant). Splits and lumps have affected the totals, and it is possible that some checklists have been edited during the time we have been tracking. All told, adjustments have subtracted 2 to 6 species from every year. As a reference, the numbers at the base of the bars are totals as originally presented.