UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Try to spot a barn owl, a red-headed woodpecker or any of hundreds of other birds this weekend and help raise money for citizen science projects at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center.
The 2023 Birding Cup will take place from 7 p.m. Friday, May 5 until 7 p.m. Saturday, May 6. Birders of all skill levels anywhere in the world can participate, with the goal of identifying as many species as possible in 24 hours.
Local teams 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 use of motorized transportation, and most bird species identified by a two-member team in a single one-mile diameter circle. Anyone — local or not — can take part in the noncompetitive global community.
This year’s event is a fundraiser for the Chuck Widmann Citizen Science Endowment, which supports Shavers Creek’s hawk watches and other citizen science projects. With more than 30 teams registered for this year’s events, anyone can find a team to support — Stork Raven Mad? Chicken Little & the Peeps? — and make a donation here.
“We’re always looking for new people at all levels,” said Joshua Potter, Shaver’s Creek associate director of operations and an avid birder. “It really is meant to be fun and let you learn along the way.”
In 2022, more than 100 birders on 30 teams identified 235 species worldwide and raised more than $11,000.
Birders often look and listen for owls late into the night, and then are up well before dawn when many birds begin calling, Potter said.
“It’s a nature scavenger hunt,” he said. “It’s really exciting to dedicate yourself to one intense thing for 24 hours with a group of people who are also excited about it.”
The Birding Cup is timed to coincide with spring bird migration through Pennsylvania, when millions of birds flow through the state on their way north from their winter homes in the tropics.
“It’s really exciting to witness the unfolding of spring in that way,” Potter said.
During spring and fall migrations, it’s especially important that people turn off outdoor lights at night as much as possible, Potter said. Shaver’s Creek encourages bird-friendly practices year-round, including using downward-pointing outdoor lights, marking window glass so that birds don’t fly into it, keeping cats indoors, and purchasing bird-friendly coffee.
Shaver’s Creek offers free guided “Migration Morning” bird walks in spring and fall. The final spring hikes are on May 3 and 10.
Potter encouraged people to take part in the Birding Cup even if they only look for birds in their own back yards, he said.
“You’ll be surprised at what you see,” he said.
Visit the Shaver’s Creek Birding Cup web page for information on how to participate and/or donate.
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