The grand total is in – George and Rich’s teams spotted 171 unique species during their combined Bird-a-Thons this year!
Our Co-Founder, Dr. George Archibald, and President and CEO, Dr. Rich Beilfuss, are assembling their annual Bird-a-Thon teams, The Craniacs, and will head out in May for their Big Day!
We invite you to sponsor the Craniacs Bird-a-Thon team and help us raise funds to support our work to save cranes and promote the diversity of birds worldwide. You may also support our Emeritus Director’s team, Day Trippers, here.
George’s Bird-a-thon quest will begin at dawn beside the forest just outside their hotel in Lake Delton, Wisconsin to spot cardinals, robins and song sparrows. The team will continue to the riparian lowlands of the Leopold Memorial Reserve to look for red-headed woodpeckers, indigo buntings and orchard orioles.
On the way to several protected areas in the Baraboo Hills and its warblers in the deciduous forests, they’ll check off nesting whooping cranes, trumpeter swans and bald eagles. By mid-afternoon, the team will be peeking into the wetland patches north of Madison, Wisconsin, for yellow-headed blackbirds, red-necked grebes and ruddy ducks as they continue east to the enormous wetlands of Horicon Marsh and its white pelicans, black-crowned night herons, and redhead ducks. After sunset over the marsh, the team will listen for the calls of owls and woodcock.
Likewise, Rich and his team will search high and low across Wisconsin for all the birds they can find. Rich and George will combine their lists for the grand total to share with you!
To donate, make a fixed gift using the link on this page or pledge a specific dollar amount per species by contacting Jennifer Fiene, Membership Manager, at 608-356-9462, ext. 151.
Pledges or fixed gifts of $40 or more will receive a one-year membership to the International Crane Foundation.
A Prothonotary Warbler greets the Wisconsin spring. Tran Triet/International Crane Foundation
Support the Craniacs! Support our Emeritus Directors The Day Trippers
We’ll be joining George and his team for their Big Day the week of May 14 on our social media.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok for behind-the-scenes updates from The Craniacs as they tally bird species for crane conservation!
