UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Bird watchers of all levels can help support the Klingsberg Aviary at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center and compete for bragging rights during the center’s annual fundraiser May 6 and 7.

The 2022 Birding Cup will bring birders together to identify as many species as possible in 24 hours. Birders can participate from anywhere — as local as central Pennsylvania or across the world — as part of the global birding community. The competition will run for 24 consecutive hours beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday, May. 6.

This year, all funds raised will go toward improving the Klingsberg Aviary at Shaver’s Creek. Hopeful improvements include adding native landscaping, visitor seating, accessible pathways, educational program space, and visual screening for the comfort of smaller raptors.

“These enhancements will improve the experience for visitors and the animals that call the aviary home,” said Joshua Potter, Shaver’s Creek’s associate director of operations. “Already a site enjoyed by tens of thousands of annual visitors and renowned in the animal care field, these modifications will further entrench the Klingsberg Aviary’s reputation as a national model.”

Birders from seven central Pennsylvania counties can compete in several categories, including most bird species identified in one county, most bird species identified by a team of birders with fewer than two years of birding experience, most bird species identified without the use of motorized transportation, and most bird species identified by a two-member team in a single one-mile diameter circle.

Birders outside of Pennsylvania will participate in the noncompetitive global community, with a focus on a collaborative approach for all skill sets.

Visit the Shaver’s Creek Birding Cup webpage for how to participate and/or donate.