Origin Story - Hatching the Idea

50–50 Quest began the way many birding pursuits do: with years of shared birding, an ever-growing life list, and the simple truth that birders love turning time in the field into a fun challenge. Somewhere between New Jersey and Massachusetts, we made it official: find at least 50 species in every state we visit, with the long-term ambition of reaching all 50 states.

The rules: Birds can (and definitely will) repeat from state to state—this isn’t about chasing 50 new species each time (that would be… HARD). It’s about setting a goal, ticking birds, and having fun. Which, honestly, is what we were already doing—just now with extra fervor.

The idea was already incubating—my sister Debbie had recently finished reading 50 Birds in 50 States by James McVoy (2018). His project is described this way: “Sue and Jim McVoy set out in the late 1990s to find at least fifty species of birds in each of the fifty United States. What started out as a casual idea became a bit of an obsession, and the quest took them about thirteen years.” Told with wonder and humor, the book gave shape to something we were already drifting toward ourselves.

Fifty is a good number, we agreed. It’s challenging but achievable. A target of 50 species per state allows us to explore a diversity of habitats while encouraging steady progress—and, most importantly, having fun. It’s enough breadth to reveal something of each state’s birdlife without needing an expert guide or attempting a record-setting pace. And, let’s face it: 50 species pairs nicely with 50 states.

Of course, we weren’t the first to follow in Sue and Jim McVoy's footsteps. Others have already completed the challenge—and some have taken it to the next level. The BlairBirding blog documents a project in which the birder sought 50 species in each U.S. state on unique days, with the aim of seeing them in all 50. Structured as a long‑term project (not in one year), it yielded detailed posts and experiences for each state. 

It’s inspiring to see how others have tackled ambitious, structured goals. Birders have long loved these sorts of challenges. A "Big Year" is the classic example where a birder tries to see as many species as possible in a defined geographic area (like all of North America) within one calendar year. Some very prominent birders have completed famous Big Years with impressive totals: Noah Strycker saw 6,042 species worldwide in 2015, and others have set high North America tallies. Many state or regional birding organizations offer year‑long or multi‑year challenges to visit a set list of hotspots, record species, or complete checklists (e.g., state birding trail challenges). The Texas Century Club offers birders the opportunity to pursue goals like 100 species in 100 counties or similar milestones — regional efforts that build birding skills, stamina and experiences over time. All of these challenges test persistence and passion. 

Our 50–50 Quest follows in that tradition, but with a pace that lets us savor each state’s birdlife and enjoy the journey along the way. This blog is where I'll share the fun we’ve had, and the fun still to come—and of course, the birds!