Just to clarify, the birds these contestants are counting are the number that they see in a particular year. you see, the contest is based on an honor system. no pictures or other evidence is required as proof of a sighting. most birders take great pride in their reputation and their abilities to see or hear and then identify a bird. usually, important sightings of the rare birds needed to get counts in the 700s are visited by hundreds of birders. it is pretty hard to cheat your way to a record-breaking year, but in general, few are interested in cheating.

what is the main idea of the paragraph that begins "just to clarify," and explains how contestants count sightings? (5 points)

the contest lasts for only one year and requires little evidence.

these birders use an honor system because most love birding more than winning.

the number of sightings typical "big year" birders see is amazing.

the typical records are very hard to break within the timeframe.