NPR · 6 hours ago

Welcome to the World Series of Birding: 24 Hours with 3 Teen Birders

Three teenage boys vault a fence at midnight to catch a glimpse of a sleeping parrot's tail, kicking off their third attempt at winning the World Series of Birding-a grueling 24-hour competition to count as many bird species as possible across New Jersey. The Pete Dunnelins have trained their ears to instantly recognize bird calls, planned their route "down to the minute," and learned to sit confidently on the ledges of rolled-down car windows as they cruise through state parks-a boldness that extends beyond birding into how they carry their passion at school, where one admits he "used to get made fun of a good amount for it" but now finds that confidence turns curiosity into respect. Their fathers have evolved from shushing laughter to stepping back in quiet support, watching their sons become so absorbed in the work of conservation that one dad reflects, "Teenagers get a bad rap sometimes that they don't care about much ... the younger generation is not apathetic." When the team falls three birds short of victory-206 species to their rivals' 209-they're "pretty pissed," then philosophical by morning, already plotting next year's strategy even as they negotiate whether their soon-to-graduate captain can return as a mentor (his friends aren't so sure about that plan).