PA Society For Ornithology: Inaugural Breeding Bird Blitz Raised $10,645 For Bird Conservation, Doubling Fundraising Goal

On July 29, the PA Society for Ornithology announced the first-ever Breeding Bird Blitz for Conservation between June 18th and 21st and raised $10,645 for bird conservation projects, doubling the fundraising goal.

Twenty-one teams of Pennsylvania birders took part in the Blitz and generated an overwhelming response from birders and their friends and family.

Funds are being distributed to three conservation partners - Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Manada Conservancy, and Western Pennsylvania Conservancy - to carry out conservation projects focused on protecting Wood Thrush and Northern Harrier habitat.

In addition to raising critical funds for the protection or restoration of habitats for Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Pennsylvania, the “Blitz” met its other goal of enhancing bird monitoring during the nesting season. 

The teams combined to record 152 species during the four-day event. Teams documented nesting behaviors by many species, including adult birds building nests, incubating eggs, and feeding young birds. 

A team in Westmoreland County discovered a previously-unknown nesting location for American Coots, a rare nesting bird in the state. 

Across Pennsylvania, birders submitted more than 4,500 complete checklists to eBird during the third week of June, which included the four days of the Blitz, a nine percent increase over the same week last year. 

eBird is a public database run by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology that collects and analyzes bird observations from across the globe.

Several teams earned special recognition for their efforts, both in finding birds and raising funds for conservation. 

The Grey Ghosts, a team of Lehigh Valley Audubon Society members, took home the PA Peerless award for the top single day species account; the Ghosts observed 105 species in a day in the northeast region. 

The state’s top fundraisers were the Brandywine Breeding Bird Blitzers, who raised $1,623 for conservation while recording 93 species in Chester County in one day. 

Four teams in Cumberland County participated, with the Cumberland Crossbills ticking 101 species for the top single county effort in the state, and the Crazed Cuckoos raising more than $1,000. 

A full list of award winners can be found online.  Click Here for a list of teams and team members.

2022 Breading Bird Blitz

The 2nd Annual Breeding Bird Blitz for Conservation is scheduled for June 17-20, 2022. 

More details on the event will be available at Breeding Bird Blitz for Conservation in the coming months.

For more information on programs, initiatives, events and how you can become involved, visit the PA Society for Ornithology website.

[Posted: July 29, 2021]  PA Environment Digest