The Birding Cup has always been centered around two things: community and the outdoors. This year was no exception. Birders participated in five friendly competitive categories as well as the global, noncompetitive category for birders around the world. New and returning birders alike shared in 24 hours of learning, laughing, and raising money to break down barriers to outdoor access — all while spotting plenty of feathered friends along the way.
Birders in Central PA didn’t let a drizzly and gray Saturday deter them from competing. It’s this passion and dedication that makes our annual fundraiser something we look forward to each spring. We are inspired yet again by our community that comes together each year to connect with each other in the outdoors. Thank you to all who made this year’s Birding Cup one to remember!
Find all the teams, individual birders, and support raised at the 2024 Birding Cup Hub.
The Results Are In…
This year we had a total of 113 birders participate in the fundraiser, comprising 21 local and 10 global teams. From true beginners to seasoned pros, these birders collectively spotted a grand total of 185 unique species across seven states (Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, New York, North Carolina, and Virginia)!
While our global category remained noncompetitive, our local teams raced to take home the gold in one of five unique categories.
The Micro Cup
The Micro Cup, awarded to the 2-person team with the highest count within a mile diameter circle, was won by The Rebel Bird Club! These fierce fliers spotted a total of 83 species to secure their victory. Congratulations!
The Potter Mug
The Potter Mug is given to the team who spots the most species while having less than two years of birding experience. This year’s Potter Mug went to Dark Side of the Loon, who counted a total of 88 species. Great work!
The Birding Boot
The Birding Boot recognizes a team that spots the most species while traveling only by non-motorized means. The biking birders who took home this year’s Birding Boot were the Whip-Poor-Wheels, with a total of 102 species. Well done!
The County Cup
The County Cup, awarded to a team who limits their birding to just one county, went to The MiffCo Mockingbirds, who recorded a total of 129 species. Good effort to these bird enthusiasts!
The Birding Cup
And, of course, the Birding Cup is the famed trophy given to the team of three or more birders who identifies the most species within seven PA counties. Without further ado…
The 2024 Birding Cup winners are Raiders of the Lost Lark! These seasoned spotters weren’t messing around! Over the course of 24 hours, this team spotted an impressive grand total of 136 species. Congratulations and thank you for your continued dedication, Raiders of the Lost Lark.
We’d like to give a huge shoutout to not only our winners but all of our participants, donors, and supporters — not to mention the birds — that made another year of our beloved tradition as impactful and successful as can be. This event wouldn’t be possible without a community like you. Thank you for all of your continued support of Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center!
Full Results
| Team | Count | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Raiders of the Lost Lark | 136 | County Cup (Birding Cup overall winner)* |
| MiffCo Mockingbirds | 129 | County Cup (winner) |
| Raystown Redstarts | 122 | Birding Cup |
| Tick McGreer & the Kickers | 122 | Birding Cup |
| Bad Optics | 116 | County Cup |
| Stork Raven Mad | 114 | County Cup |
| Whip-poor-wheels | 102 | Birding Boot (winner) |
| Against Owl Odds | 98 | Birding Cup |
| Chicken Little & the Peeps | 94 | County Cup |
| Teatime Towhees | 94 | County Cup |
| In Field Fly | 93 | Birding Boot |
| Dark Side of the Loon | 88 | Potter Mug (winner) |
| Huntingdon Hawkeyes | 88 | County Cup |
| No Egrets | 83 | Birding Cup |
| Tasteful Titmice | 83 | Birding Cup |
| IGOR | 82 | Birding Cup |
| Where Are All the Queen Birds? | 81 | Birding Boot |
| Oriole Cookies | 73 | Birding Cup |
| The Rebel Bird Club | 83 | Micro Cup (winner) |
| The Dabbling Duck Duo | 69 | Micro Cup |
| Rose-breasted Broskis | 20 | Micro Cup |
*The team who spots the most species wins the The Birding Cup and is excluded from winning their category.
Why We Bird
The outdoors is for all — or at least it should be. This year, fundraising efforts contributed toward a fund to help break down barriers to access in Shaver’s Creek outdoor education programs, events, and opportunities. With funds raised in this year’s Birding Cup, we’ll be able to ensure that opportunities exist to learn about and connect with the great outdoors for all in our community — regardless of personal and financial background.
While the Cup may be finished, fundraising is still open! Donations will be accepted through the end of May. Join us in our mission by donating now! Thank you to all who have made generous donations and helped in sharing the word of our fundraising efforts so far.
This year’s Birding Cup was also made possible with the incredible support of local businesses. Shaver’s Creek would like to thank:
- Lost Creek Optics
- Appalachian Outdoors
- Boal City Brewing
- Purple Lizard Maps
- Collegiate Pride
- Bobby Rahal Honda
- Freeze Thaw Cycles
- Bird Collective
- Wiscoy for Animals
- The State College Bird Club
- Nittany Mountain Works
What We Saw
Head to this year’s eBird trip report to see a complete list of bird spotted by both local and global participants.
Would love it if you could post more than just the winners totals! We’re too old (and tired) to stay for the after-party, but would love to know how we rank vs. other teams. Please post full results!! – Stork Raven Mad
Hey Jennifer, this is great feedback! Someone will be in touch with more results for you, and we’ll look into a way of reporting full results for next year’s Cup. Thanks so much for the suggestion!