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Join the 45th Annual Rich Stallcup Bird-A-Thon!

September 15 – October 15, 2023

The 45th Annual Rich Stallcup Bird-A-Thon is dedicated to Ivan Samuels in honor of his invaluable leadership, passion for nature and birds, and his many years of support for the Bird-A-Thon.

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Got merch? Find it here. (Features original art by Maya Amyx!)

What is Bird-A-Thon?

Point Blue’s bird-a-thon is a yearly event to connect, learn, and grow as a nature-loving community and to raise conservation funds to secure a healthy planet. Those who count individually or as a team choose a 24-hour period between September 15th and October 15th to count as many bird (and other) species as they possibly can, and they get people to sponsor them for their efforts.

The location is up to the team/individual and you can bird-a-thon from anywhere in the world! You can choose to bird and naturalize along a route in one geography (like Point Reyes or San Francisco), trying to hit as many habitats as possible; or you can opt to have a team that is spread throughout a county, state, country, or the world and count together apart within the same 24 hour period; or you could choose to count in one spot, in one location–a big sit of sorts–from your favorite park, urban area, or backyard. However you count, we encourage you to have fun, be curious, and try to learn something new about nature.

Once you’ve decided on a counting approach, a team name (very important), and a route, you then ask everyone you know to sponsor your count either at a flat rate (easiest approach) or a pledge per species. Also, see the new Marcia Grand Challenge below for how to raise more funds by identifying non-bird species. You will register your count via www.pointblue.org/birdathon and have your own site that folks can donate to.  Our fundraising goal this year is $85,000, which we exceeded last year! The more teams, counters, and supporters, the more successful we’ll be at raising the most funds for conservation action and learning.

How to Participate

Count!

As a Bird-A-Thon participant, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with fellow passionate birders, nature enthusiasts, scientists, and conservationists as we celebrate the wonders of fall migration and the return of waterfowl and shorebirds. Register yourself and/or your team today at www.pointblue.org/birdathon and start planning your adventure!

If you don’t have a Bird-A-Thon team but would like to join one, we will be hosting bird walks for beginning birders and counters throughout the month. Keep an eye on this page (www.pointblue.org/events) for further information and to rsvp for upcoming events.

New this year: announcing the Marcia Grand Bird-A-Thon Team Challenge! Any team that correctly identifies 1 animal from each of the following 3 taxonomic groups will receive a $50 gift for their team total to support Point Blue: Mammals, Amphibians, and Reptiles.

Record and report your three correctly identified animal species when you submit your bird species list. This challenge was inspired by Rich Stallcup, who recorded every living creature he saw during his Bird-A-Thon. (The Seek app, associated with iNaturalist, is a helpful tool for this as well as paper-based field guides.)

Donate!

You can also simply donate to support this fantastic event! As a Bird-A-Thon supporter of $50 or more, you will receive Point Blue membership benefits including a subscription to our award-winning Quarterly magazine and invitations to science presentations, bird and nature walks led by our expert ecologists and educators, and other events. With your gift of $500 or more, you will become a Friend of Point Blue and receive invitations to additional exclusive events.

Since the inception of Point Blue’s Bird-A-Thon, more than $3 million have been raised for conservation science. Your support will help Point Blue scientists reduce the impacts of climate change, habitat loss, and other environmental threats while promoting nature-based, climate-smart solutions for wildlife and people.

Whoo* is This Year’s Mascot?

This year’s 45th Annual Rich Stallcup Bird-A-Thon mascot is the Northern Saw-whet Owl (*Do you see what we did there? ). Our Bird-A-Thon Committee–composed of Heather Cameron, Aaron Haiman, and Melissa Pitkin–chose this bird as mascot because they thought it was high time to spotlight an owl and The Northern Saw-whet owl is objectively one of the cutest owls and birds there are along with being interesting and important. We are at a time in our history where we need to think and act more wisely than ever before, and who best to represent that sentiment than an owl? Learn more about this unique bird’s natural history along with viewing photos and video on The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s All About Birds site here.

Further Questions?

Contact Debra Stein at dstein@pointblue.org.