A month-long, outdoor scavenger hunt during spring migration in Fairbanks!
Register for the Birding Challenge
What is the Fairbanks Birding Challenge? The Fairbanks Birding Challenge is an all-ages, all-abilities, month-long outdoor scavenger hunt during spring migration in the Fairbanks North Star Borough! The Challenge is open to everyone including beginning birdwatchers, seasoned pros, and everyone in between. You can participate as an individual, or as a team/family. The goal is to find as many birds as you can on the 2024 list within the Fairbanks North Star Borough during the month of May. All proceeds support the Alaska Songbird Institute’s Creamer’s Field Migration Station.
What’s new in 2024? This year we have a new list and a new point system! Everyone who registers will receive the same list. Each species has been assigned point levels. Common species score one point whereas more challenging ones can score 3, 5, or even up to 10 points! Your goal is to score as many points as you can. As always, birds must be spotted within the Fairbanks North Star Borough during the month of May. At the end of the month, submit your point totals by email or text to be eligible for prizes.
Prizes! There are multiple ways to win! Everyone who submits their results will be entered into a drawing for the grand prize, a pair of Vortex Viper HD 10 x 42 binoculars (value: $500)! In addition to the grand prize, five additional winners will be drawn from among all returned results to win an ASI logo hat and a Coldstone Creamery gift card. The teams/individuals with the top five highest scores will also receive an ASI hat and gift card. Please note, teams will only receive one entry in the drawings and one prize. However, everyone who submits their results, including all members of each team, can receive a Fairbanks Birding Challenge sticker! All prizes, including stickers, can be picked up after June 7, 2024 at the Creamer’s Farmhouse Visitor Center.
How do I get started? The first step is to register by clicking one of the “Register Now” buttons. The registration fee is $30 for a team/family (including up to 2 adults) or $20 for an individual. We encourage everyone to work together! Once you register, you will receive a link to download your Fairbanks Birding Challenge registration packet, including your bird list. You will be automatically signed up to receive ASI Birding Challenge emails with upcoming guided birding opportunities, unless you opt out. The emails will provide information on weekly guided bird walks with Arctic Audubon Society, as well as ASI’s Thursday night Birding Meet Ups with ASI staff and volunteers and other opportunities.
We also encourage you join Boreal Birder and the Fairbanks Birding Challenge facebook group. Here you will find updates on bird arrivals, hints on where to find your species, and more. You can also post pictures to share with other teams! Share pictures on your own social media using #FairbanksBirdingChallenge!
How does it work? This year there is just one bird list. The list contains kid-friendly/easily found and identified species, as well as some that are more difficult to find and identify. Each species has been assigned a point level. The goal is to accumulate as many points as you can by finding various species.
You have the whole month of May to find as many birds (and thus score as many points) as possible. As you find them, log the date on your bird list. You can help others and celebrate your successes by sharing photos and stories in the Fairbanks Birding Challenge facebook group. For help finding and identifying birds, check out our Resources page. It includes suggestions for bird ID apps and other bird guides.
What do I do when I finish my list? At the end of the month, fill out the totals and contact info and return it by email or text using the information on the form. You can also drop it off in ASI’s office upstairs in the Creamer’s Field Farmhouse. Everyone who returns a list is eligible for prizes.
Good luck and have fun!
Proceeds from the Fairbanks Birding Challenge support ASI’s Creamer’s Field Migration Station. Thank you for supporting bird research, education, and conservation in Interior Alaska!