46th Annual Rich Stallcup Bird-A-Thon
Thank you to all of our 2024 participants and supporters! Final results coming soon!
$129,097Raised of $100,000
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is a Bird-A-Thon?
A: The Bird-A-Thon is a similar format to a bike-a-thon or walk-a-thon, with participants requesting support from friends and family to reach their fundraising goal. Supporters can either make a flat donation or they can make a pledge based on the number of bird species spotted (similar to a walk-a-thon in which you can pledge by mile).
Watch our "What is a Bird-A-Thon?" Video
Q: How does a bird count work?
A: Count as many species of birds as you can identify—either by sight or sound—and record your total to include on your online fundraising page. For help identifying birds you see or hear, there are great bird identification apps like Merlin and eBird.
Q: Do I have to join a team?
A: You can create your own team, join an existing one or bird on your own! If you start as a solo birder, but decide you want to recruit some friends, you can still form a team after joining.
Q: What if I’m not an experienced birder?
A: Bird with us! Visit our Events page for more information about in-person and virtual birding events hosted by Point Blue.
Join Point Blue for Virtual or In-Person Birding
Q: Are there certain locations I have to go birding in order to participate?
A: You can do a Bird-A-Thon from anywhere in the world! Head to your favorite park, urban area, or your backyard.
Q: My birding friends don’t live near me. Do we all have to go birding together to be on the same Bird-A-Thon team?
A: You can have team members spread throughout the county, state, country, or world. You just need to be birding within the same 24-hour period together. For your reports to your supporters, it’s good to record where your species were detected.
Q: I'd like to be part of multiple Bird-A-Thon teams. Is that allowed?
A: We love when people participate in multiple teams and bird walks! For fundraising purposes, you will need to register with a different email address so that any money you raise can be counted toward one team's fundraising goal vs. another.
Q: Where do I submit my bird list?
A: Share your list with your supporters by posting it on your fundraising page by clicking on the "Community" tab and/or emailing it to: birdathon@pointblue.org. We recommend using a birding app like eBird to compile your list so that all you have to do is share the link. Click here for instructions on posting updates to your fundraising page.
Q: How do you know if the correct bird has been identified?
A: A commonly accepted rule amongst birders is to have at least one other person confirm your ID before you can record that species.
Q: What about other animals my team sees?
A: The Bird-A-Thon isn’t just for the birds! We are excited to have several Marcia Grand Team Challenges this year, which offers opportunities for teams to receive donation bonuses. Please click here to see this year's challenges offered to all teams.
2024 Marcia Grand Team Challenges
Q: Who was Rich Stallcup?
A: Read a touching account of Rich’s life and legacy from fellow naturalist John Winter in this Western Field Ornithologists article.
Q: Is it 24 hours in one place?
A: Our rules are somewhat flexible because the main goal is to have fun and raise funds for conservation. You can have a team that’s spread out geographically all birding within one consecutive 24-hour period. If your teammates are experienced and reliable in their ID skills you could have individuals that are spread out, but if not, it’s good to have at least two team members in each location so that they can confirm each other’s IDs.
Q: Can I contribute to the Bird-A-Thon without registering?
A: Yes! You can support an individual, team, or make a general contribution to the Bird-A-Thon without creating an online account. Scroll up to the top of this page and click donate, or follow the link below!
Q. I created an account but forgot my password. How do I reset it?
A. Please click here to have a password reset emailed to you.
Q: What does "pledge per bird species" mean?
A. Bird-A-Thon participants set a goal to observe a specific amount of bird species during their day of birding. To support their efforts, you can make a pledge to their individual fundraising page based on their bird species observed goal. Note — You cannot pledge per species when donating to a team. However, you can make a pledge to a team member and it will be counted toward their team fundraising goal. If you would prefer to make a one-time donation to a fundraiser that's great too!
Q: Is my donation to the Bird-A-Thon tax-deductible?
A: The 46th Annual Rich Stallcup Bird-A-Thon fundraiser conveys no benefits to the donor (gifts are fully tax-deductible) and all contributions go toward supporting Point Blue’s mission. Point Blue Conservation Science’s EIN number is: 94-1594250.
Q: Why support the Bird-A-Thon?
A. In addition to supporting Point Blue's climate-smart conservation, as a Bird-A-Thon supporter of $50 or more, you will receive a subscription to Point Blue's 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.
Q: What are the fees I am seeing at the donation checkout?
A: Donors are offered the option to cover a platform fee of 5.9% and credit card processing fee of 2.2% + $.30 per transaction. The full amount you are charged is tax-deductible. If you do not want to cover these fees, before submitting your payment, click on "Change" next to "Cover Fees" and uncheck the box.
Q: I have Bird-A-Thon sponsors who do not wish to donate online. How can they support my fundraising efforts?
A: Donations by check should be made out to Point Blue Conservation Science and sent to:
The Rich Stallcup Bird-A-Thon
Point Blue Conservation Science
3820 Cypress Drive, Suite 11
Petaluma, CA 94954
If you have sponsors who send checks to you, please send any donations collected to Point Blue. Please do not hold on to donations for more than two (2) weeks.
Q: I have friends in other countries who want to support me. How can international supporters make a Bird-A-Thon donation?
A: Donors outside of the U.S. who would like to support the Bird-A-Thon can donate directly to your fundraising page. Their donation will be processed and displayed in USD.
Q: When will the results be announced?
A: We'll announce the results in January 2025 after we've received all Bird-A-Thon donations at the end the year.