bird callers flock to Piedmont high's squawk contest - SFGate

image: Santiago Mejia, special To The Chronicle

Cade Becker receives able to co-host the 51st annual Piedmont high faculty fowl-calling contest on Tuesday evening.

Cade Becker receives able to co-host the 51st annual Piedmont high school chook-calling contest on Tuesday night.

picture: Santiago Mejia, particular To The Chronicle From left: Alec Opdyke, Vivian Anable Eme and Katherine Irving rehearse the American/Caribbean Flamingo chook name before the 51st annual Piedmont high school fowl-calling contest on Tuesday, might also 24, 2016 in Piedmont, Calif. much less From left: Alec Opdyke, Vivian Anable Eme and Katherine Irving rehearse the American/Caribbean Flamingo chook call before the 51st annual Piedmont excessive faculty bird-calling contest on Tuesday, can also 24, 2016 in ... more photograph: Santiago Mejia, particular To The Chronicle

Sophomores Kay Sibal, left, and Maya Guzdar carry their profitable willow ptarmigan call. "I just think this complete component is humorous," Sibal mentioned later on.

Sophomores Kay Sibal, left, and Maya Guzdar deliver their winning willow ptarmigan call. "I simply suppose this total factor is funny," Sibal mentioned later on.

image: Santiago Mejia, particular To The Chronicle

audience contributors snigger all the way through the 51st annual Piedmont high school fowl-calling contest on Tuesday, may additionally 24, 2016 in Piedmont, Calif.

audience individuals chuckle right through the 51st annual Piedmont excessive college fowl-calling contest on Tuesday, may additionally 24, 2016 in Piedmont, Calif.

photo: Santiago Mejia, special To The Chronicle Maya Guzdar, left, and Kay Sibal react as they win first area all the way through the 51st annual Piedmont high faculty hen-calling contest on Tuesday, may also 24, 2016 in Piedmont, Calif. The duo won with their Willow Ptarmigan name. less Maya Guzdar, left, and Kay Sibal react as they win first location throughout the 51st annual Piedmont high college fowl-calling contest on Tuesday, may 24, 2016 in Piedmont, Calif. The duo received with their Willow ... extra image: Santiago Mejia, particular To The Chronicle

Bryn Lawson performs throughout the 51st annual Piedmont high school chook-calling contest on Tuesday, may also 24, 2016 in Piedmont, Calif. The team imitated the Lyrebird name.

Bryn Lawson performs throughout the 51st annual Piedmont high school chicken-calling contest on Tuesday, may 24, 2016 in Piedmont, Calif. The group imitated the Lyrebird call.

photograph: Santiago Mejia, special To The Chronicle Grace Foster, core, attaches paper-fowl feathers to Bryn Lawson, left, as Krystyna Olszewska watches earlier than the 51st annual Piedmont high college chook-calling contest on Tuesday, can also 24, 2016 in Piedmont, Calif. The group imitated the Lyrebird name. less Grace Foster, core, attaches paper-fowl feathers to Bryn Lawson, left, as Krystyna Olszewska watches earlier than the 51st annual Piedmont high school fowl-calling contest on Tuesday, may additionally 24, 2016 in Piedmont, ... extra picture: Santiago Mejia, particular To The Chronicle

Timothy Harkins, left, and Ting Hsu Engelman chuckle as they choose the 51st annual Piedmont excessive school chook-calling contest on Tuesday, may additionally 24, 2016 in Piedmont, Calif.

Timothy Harkins, left, and Ting Hsu Engelman snicker as they choose the 51st annual Piedmont excessive college chook-calling contest on Tuesday, may also 24, 2016 in Piedmont, Calif.

image: Santiago Mejia, particular To The Chronicle Maya Guzdar, core, and Kay Sibal, correct, react as they're offered with the first-location trophy all over the 51st annual Piedmont excessive school fowl-calling contest on Tuesday, may 24, 2016 in Piedmont, Calif. The duo gained with their Willow Ptarmigan name. much less Maya Guzdar, center, and Kay Sibal, appropriate, react as they are offered with the first-location trophy throughout the 51st annual Piedmont high college chicken-calling contest on Tuesday, can also 24, 2016 in Piedmont, Calif. ... extra picture: Santiago Mejia, particular To The Chronicle

individuals rally earlier than the 51st annual Piedmont high college chook-calling contest on Tuesday, can also 24, 2016 in Piedmont, Calif.

members rally before the 51st annual Piedmont excessive faculty bird-calling contest on Tuesday, may additionally 24, 2016 in Piedmont, Calif.

picture: Santiago Mejia, special To The Chronicle Elizabeth Jordan laughs as she holds her five-year-ancient daughter, joy Jordan-Thobe, as they watch the 51st annual Piedmont high school chook-calling contest on Tuesday, may 24, 2016 in Piedmont, Calif. Jordan, a graduate of the faculty, noted her father, Jay Knowland, received the first held contest. less Elizabeth Jordan laughs as she holds her 5-year-ancient daughter, pleasure Jordan-Thobe, as they watch the 51st annual Piedmont high faculty chook-calling contest on Tuesday, may 24, 2016 in Piedmont, Calif. Jordan, a ... greater photograph: Santiago Mejia, particular To The Chronicle

viewers members who packed Piedmont excessive school's auditorium seemed to enjoy the 51st annual chicken-calling contest Tuesday evening. Two sophomores took domestic proper honors.

viewers participants who packed Piedmont excessive school's auditorium seemed to benefit from the 51st annual fowl-calling contest Tuesday night. Two sophomores took domestic good honors.

photo: Santiago Mejia, special To The Chronicle

graphic 13 of 13

chicken callers flock to Piedmont excessive's squawk contest

1 / 13

again to Gallery

It's the primary time in years they don't have a deal lined as much as operate for a country wide audience on late-nighttime tv, but that didn't ruffle the feathers of students competing in Piedmont excessive college's every year chicken-calling contest.

contributors squawked, chirped and hollered with as tons comedic depth and questionable scientific accuracy as ever Tuesday night at the 51st annual contest.

In years previous, successful college students made appearances on "The Tonight exhibit" and the "Late demonstrate with David Letterman." With Letterman's retirement, a deal has yet to be struck with another late-evening host to exhibit their feistiest fowl cries.

however there was nevertheless an auditorium crammed with fanatics to galvanize at Piedmont high, and sophomores Maya Guzdar and Kay Sibal made the lots of the chance as they earned first vicinity with their willow ptarmigan fowl name.

as the ultimate act of the night they portrayed a baby chook and its mom singing collectively in Brazil, the place that they had flown, mistakenly considering they had been headed for the winter Olympics.

It may well be they scored aspects with the judges — college contributors Ting Hsu Engelman and Tim Harkins, and ecologist Scott Terrill — by means of developing with the simplest sketch that at once touched on this 12 months's contest theme, the Olympics. It became the first time the adventure had an official theme.

"We're feeling like bird brains right now," Guzdar said after the win. "We have been no longer expecting any of this in any respect. normally, underclassmen do not get first or anything."

In second place, students Anna Campbell and Koyuki Narter imitated the northern pintail on the end of a sketch riffing on "The Sound of track." they had squawked out a parody of "Sixteen going on Seventeen."

Third area went to Andrew Collins, Laine Ratzer, and Katie St. Claire for a "hawkward" bit about two female snowy egrets combating over a male.

The hosts of the experience joked about this yr's absence of Hollywood glamour.

"Why am I here? Why is anybody right here? i thought Letterman would be looking at this right now," observed Cade Becker, one of the masters of ceremony. "So this 12 months, the college students are performing for the only real goal to look like idiots in entrance of us?"

The viewers laughed at the first rate-natured jabs. There's a chance an agreement could be reached with a television exhibit to let the winners perform, however most students without difficulty loved pleasing the capacity crowd.

"I simply suppose this total component is humorous," noted co-winner Sibal, disregarding the magnitude of a spot on television. "We're no longer certain if we're going or the place we're going. It doesn't in fact count."

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle body of workers author. e-mail: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: JennaJourno

fowl-name video clips

To view video clips of performances with the aid of the Piedmont high faculty hen-name winners and other contestants, go to sfchronicle.com.