A brief resurgence of winter’s chill wasn’t enough to keep enthusiastic birders from donning their gear, grabbing their binoculars, and taking to the wild to participate in the 2026 Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center Birding Cup fundraiser.
The funds raised by this year’s Birding Cup will support the development and installation of interpretive exhibits along the Lake Trail’s recently constructed canopy walk. The walk includes the Hawks View Meadow Observation Platform, which offers a view of the transitional space between multiple habitats—forest, meadow, wetland, creek, and lake.
And while the 2026 Birding Cup has come to a conclusion, there is still time to make a donation to support the development of these exhibits to draw special attention to this unique convergence of diverse habitats.
2026 Birding Cup Results
This year, we had a total of 125 birders participate in the fundraiser, comprising 24 local and 8 global teams. From true beginners to seasoned pros, these birders collectively spotted a grand total of 250 unique species!
As in years past, our global category remained noncompetitive, but our local teams raced to take home the gold in one of five unique categories.
The Micro Cup
The Micro Cup, awarded to the two-person team with the highest count within a mile-diameter circle, was won by Insane Crane Posse, who spotted a total of 96 species!
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 It’s Our Tern, who counted a total of 98 species!
The Birding Boot
The Birding Boot recognizes a team that spots the most species while traveling only by non-motorized means. In Field Fly took home this year’s Birding Boot with a total of 95 species spotted!
The County Cup
The County Cup, awarded to a team who limits their birding to just one county, went to Whip-poor-wheels, who recorded a total of 112 species in Blair County!
The Birding Cup
And, of course, The Birding Cup is the famed trophy given to the team of three or more birders who identify the most species within seven Pennsylvania counties.
The 2026 Birding Cup winners are (insert dramatic drum roll) Raiders of the Lost Lark! Over the course of 24 chilly hours, this team spotted a total of 128 species. Congratulations to this year’s Birding Cup champions!
We’d like to take a moment to recognize our winners, as well as every one of our participants, donors, and supporters that made another year of our beloved tradition as impactful and successful as it could be and helped us to line a nest for another worthy cause. 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 and the Birding Cup.
You can head to this year’s eBird trip report to see a list of birds spotted by both local and global participants. Please note that the report may not yet be finalized and will continue to be updated while individual teams upload their lists.
There’s Still Time to Support Our 2026 Cause
While the Cup may be finished, fundraising is still open and donations will be accepted through June 1. Join us in our mission by donating now! Thank you to all who have made generous donations and helped by 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:
- 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
- Lost Creek Shoe Shop