Gotta catch ‘em all! The pursuit of birding experiences can feel like a game at times, especially for dedicated eBirders. If you play Wingspan, you can chase that thrill just about anywhere and anytime. It’s especially fun at the end of a long day of looking at real birds with your friends.
The general formula is the same as with many games: you draw cards, accumulate stuff, and try to get points using the stuff you accumulated. It’s just better because it’s birds and eggs and food and habitats instead of human stuff.
Because most of my birding friends also play, we sometimes find ourselves referencing the birds’ game characteristics when we see them in the field. The birds’ powers reflect the actual birds’ behaviors for the most part. (I also know a few people who play but don’t really bird; they really enjoy the game despite not being alert to the humor of the murderous Budgie.)
As you see above, the game’s artwork is well done - but I can’t help thinking of the real birds as I play...
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK — 3 points
One thing that you tend to do when you first start playing is grab your favorite birds, regardless of what’s best strategically. Fortunately, my fave is a solid choice if not quite a game-changer. It eats anything with a wingspan less than 75 cm whenever it gets a chance. (There are no squirrels for it to eat, alas.)
NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD — 2 points
Not a lot of points for the card itself, but it doubles down on your heavy hitters. True to its nature, the mockingbird copies the powers of other birds in its habitat — it can lay as many eggs as a quail, or take prey like a peregrine.
SAY’S PHOEBE — 5 points
When played, the Phoebe lets you lay an egg on every bird with cup nest. It’s really nice if one turns up late in the game… just as they’re a nice sighting at the end of a day.
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER — 4 points
This was a long-time nemesis bird in real life; I looked for it every time I visited the midwest, hearing them a few times but never getting a visual. Then I started playing Wingspan a lot, and seeing the card constantly. One showed up in San Francisco of all places. Coincidence? I think not!
GREAT HORNED OWL — 8 points
Along with Golden Eagle and Peregrine, these guys are a little harder (lots of food needed!) to come by but totally worth it. Give them a chance and they’ll take anything with a wingspan under 100cm. Just like a real life birding day, if you have one of these at the start you just know it’s going to be good.
TURKEY VULTURE — 1 point
If you’re not lucky enough to draw the Great Horned Owl, the next best thing might be a Turkey Vulture. They wait for the predators to do their work, and then these guys snag a bit of food for you. They’re always on standby, taking advantage of any meal that comes up.
COMMON RAVEN — 5 points
It’s all about the food, baby. Sure, it makes an egg disappear but then it comes up with any kind of food you could possibly want. They always know how to find the choicest morsels.
WHOOPING CRANE — 6 points
Lets you draw two bonus cards and keep one. Perfect, because seeing a Whooper is clearly a bonus!
CALIFORNIA CONDOR — 1 point
Also lets you grab two bonus cards and keep one. The great thing is that it doesn’t require any food, so if you pick up this card you can play it any time you want — always happy to see a Condor turn up, just like real life. (The card itself is much more elegant and better looking than my crappy distant photo.)
In other bird news for those of you who are into taxonomy (almost as interesting as molt!) — there are some interesting developments in the eBird/Clements Checklist this year. All kinds of big splits, like Barn Owl, House Wren and Herring Gull. The various redpolls have been lumped into Redpoll. And you won’t be writing down Accipiter sp anymore! Sharp-shinned Hawks are still Accipiters, but Cooper’s and Goshawks will now be in a new genus, Astura.
