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The Team TTTŠ from Latvia Wins the Bird Watching Race "Latvia’s State Forests Bird Rally 2018"

The team "TTTŠ" (Gaidis Grandāns, Uģis Piterāns, Edgars Laucis, Ivars Brediks) with recorded 105 bird species was announced the winner of the 7th annual international bird watching race "Latvia’s State Forests Bird Rally 2018" that took place on Saturday, 15 September. A total of five teams of birdwatchers and ornithologists from Latvia and Lithuania took part in the race.

The team "TTTŠ" (Gaidis Grandāns, Uģis Piterāns, Edgars Laucis, Ivars Brediks) having recorded the short-toed snake eagle (Circaetus gallicus) gained recognition for the most interesting bird recorded.

"Saldus izlase" (Māris Jaunzemis, Valts Jaunzemis, Ainars Mankus, Jānis Jansons) won the prize for the most attractive presentation of the birds recorded during the race in social networks.

Teams and team members of Latvia’s State Forests Bird Rally 2018:

1. Nometnieki: Elvijs Kantāns, Juris Vīgulis, Ģirts Baranovskis, Laura Grīviņa (Latvia)
2. Lietuvainis: Saulius Karalius, Milda Šniaukštienė, Laimonas Šniaukšta, Gediminas Eigirdas (Lithuania)
3. Pingvīni: Kārlis Bernāns, Roberts Bluķis, Gints Bernāns (Latvia)
4. Saldus izlase: Māris Jaunzemis, Valts Jaunzemis, Ainars Mankus, Jānis Jansons (Latvia)
5. TTTŠ: Gaidis Grandāns, Uģis Piterāns, Edgars Laucis, Ivars Brediks (Latvia)

This year's race took place in the western part of Vidzeme. During the 14-hour-long race, which took place from 04:00 to 18:00, the teams with their own chosen means of transport surveyed the race area by a freely chosen route, recording both visually and audibly the recognised bird species and subspecies in the List of Latvian Bird Species and Subspecies. The species or subspecies to be registered in the list of the race had to be identified by at least three team members. There were three to four participants in each team.

The race was judged by experienced bird experts Valdis Roze, Kārlis Millers and Kaspars Funts. The Bird Rally was organised by Joint Stock Company “Latvia’s State Forests”, Latvia Birds Fund and portal www.latvijasputni.lv. For more information about the race and the bird species and subspecies registered in the course of the race visit www.mammadaba.lv and www.latvijasputni.lv.