Find a bird. Take its photo.
Let's see what we can capture together in 1 day!
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Quick links: Bay Area Bird Photo Big Day Facebook Group | 2025 Donation Page | Kids Nature Journal and Bird Bingo
Pigeon Gullemote by Dee Vee
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Since 2020, birders in the Bay Area and beyond have banded together each year for the Bird Photo Big Day. Our Fall Challenge Big Day event focuses on both our Bird Photo Contest and on collectively counting as many bird species as possible in 24 hours.
Kids Nature Journal and Bird Bingo - We are also offering free, downloadable family-friendly activities to enhance the fun! Click Here! Thank you Anastasia Nguyen for creating it! The 2025 Fall Challenge Bird Photo Big Day is on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. Please read below to learn how to join the fun! Donate to the Big Day by vising our Bird Day site. |
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How to participate: Head over to Facebook and join the group; that's where all the action takes place. Don't want to take photos but still want to participate? You can join in on the fun, too! We need folks to cheer on the photographers and help identify birds. If you aren't on Facebook, email your pictures to [email protected] and we will post them for you (see rules at bottom of page).
All photos submitted to the Big Day are eligible to compete in a fun, free Bird Photo Contest in three categories: Best Bird Behavior, Funniest Bird Photo, and Best Photo of one of the Bird Species shown on our 2025 CFC T-Shirt (Northern Harrier, Barn Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Song Sparrow, Common Yellowthroat, Great Blue Heron, and the endangered Ridgway's Rail). Photos must be taken in the 24 hours of the Big Day, can be taken anywhere in the world, and must indicate where the photo was taken. They will be judged on the following criteria: composition, quality (i.e. exposure, clarity), how well the photo fits the category, and the adherence to the Big Day Rules (please see below). Our three winners will receive a free 2025 CFC T-Shirt! This is also a fundraiser for SFBBO, so we invite everyone to make a generous donation to help SFBBO continue to promote sustainability in the Bay Area and beyond by engaging diverse communities with avian science, habitat conservation, and education. All levels of birders and photographers are welcome! There are no bad pictures, especially if it's a bird species we need. |
2025 Fall Challenge T-Shirt
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Thank you to former SFBBO docents Bill Pelletier and Kitty O'Neil for designing the Bird Photo Big Day! Their legacy continues. Bill and Kitty met at a bird walk in 2016, began teaching advanced birding classes together, and have since gotten married. They were field trip leaders for SFBBO, the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society, and Santa Clara Open Space Authority and their goal is to blend a wide variety of birding skills in a light-hearted and fun approach to birding. Hear what Bill and Kitty say about supporting SFBBO's bird conservation efforts!
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Rules:
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Header photo by Melani King