WOW, what an incredible Birdathon season!
Thanks to the amazing support of our participants, donors, and birding community, Cope Environmental Center’s 2026 Birdathon has officially become our largest and most successful Birdathon to date!
Our original fundraising goal was $50,000, and together we have already raised an incredible $68,680! We would still love to reach our stretch goal of $70,000, and it is not too late to donate and help us cross the finish line.
This year’s Birdathon included:
- 97 participants
- 20 teams
- A collective total of 739 bird species observed worldwide
- 34 more species than last year
- Birders participated from exciting new locations around the globe, including: Croatia, Romania, and New Zealand
- In the United States, birds were found in 15 different states: Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Arkansas, Texas, Arizona, and Washington.
Indiana Highlights
- Birdathon participants saw 236 species in Indiana
- Participants saw 177 species in Wayne County
- Participants documented 134 species at Cope Environmental Center!
- An amazing 81 species were documented on the property in a single morning!
We hope all of our participants had fun while exploring and celebrating birds and wildlife. We are deeply grateful to every participant and donor who supported the Birdathon and Cope Environmental Center.
Your participation helps spread awareness and appreciation of wildlife species and habitats. That appreciation inspires all of us to make choices in our daily lives that support a healthy and sustainable Earth.
2026 Birdathon Winners
Most Money Raised by a Team
Birdaholics — $17,454 raised
Most Money Raised by an Individual
Jack Ferrell — $5,614 raised
Most Species Seen by an Individual Worldwide
Mark Stackhouse — 304 species observed
Most Species Seen by an Individual Midwest
Mark Campbell — 207 species observed
Most Birds Seen by a Midwest Team
The Merlins — 701 birds
Most Birds Seen by a Worldwide Team
Birders Beyond Borders — 1,068 birds
*Reminder: team species totals are based on the combined species number of each team member rather than the actual total species count for an entire team.
Most Bird Species Photographed
Scott Rauland — 130 species photographed
First-Ever Birdathon Photo Contest Winner
We are excited to announce our very first Birdathon Photo Contest winner: Mark Stackhouse!
Winning Photo: Male Orange-breasted Bunting
“This photo was taken at the tiny seaside village of Tehuamixtle, Jalisco, Mexico. This species is endemic to Mexico, inhabiting dry forests along the central Pacific coast, and is considered by many to be one of Mexico’s most beautiful birds. My wife and I found this individual, along with two other males, near midday under a sweltering sun in a tiny patch of shade filtered through dry, leafless branches. The birds were gathered near a small leak in a water pipe entering the village, which created a seep of moisture on the hillside.”
