2026 California Fall Challenge – Supporting Our Work
For over 40 years, the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory has benefited birds and local communities by conducting and engaging volunteers in avian research and habitat restoration, and providing hands-on educational experiences, especially for youth from underrepresented backgrounds; that work is more vital now than ever!
Please support our 2026 California Fall Challenge to help us continue our conservation science work!
The California Fall Challenge is SFBBO’s biggest fundraising campaign each year. You can make an online donation through our PayPal account at the donate button below (where you can also sign up to make automatic monthly, quarterly, or annual gifts). In addition, you can send a check to our new mailing address, PO Box 610578, San Jose, CA 95161.
There are a variety of ways to you can get involved in our California Fall Challenge (CFC), please read below to learn more (donation links below go live Sept. 1, 2026)!
2026 CFC T-Shirt
Donations of $80 or more to the CFC between Sept. 1st-Oct. 31st, 2026, are eligible to receive a 2026 SFBBO t-shirt. The estimated value of the t-shirt ($20) is not tax deductible. This year’s shirt showcases Western Snowy Plovers, a threatened species we have been studying and protecting in the Bay Area since 2003. The artwork was designed by Anastasia Nguyen (artwork image and shirt color coming soon). We have shirts available in unisex and women’s styles in small, medium, large, X-Large, 2XL, and 3XL sizes. Once you make your qualifying gift, please send an email to outreach@sfbbo.org no later than Oct. 31st, 2026, to let us know your shirt style and size. We are ordering the shirts on Nov. 1st. Thank you!
Bird Photo Big Day 24-hour Virtual Bird-a-Thon – Sept. 26, 2026
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 a bird photo contest and on collectively counting as many bird species as possible in 24 hours. On Sept. 26, 2026, people from around the globe are invited to take photos in their backyards, neighborhoods, cities, and wild spaces and submit them to our Facebook group or via email to celebrate birds and see how many species we can tally. The event is free and is also a fundraiser and all gifts of $80 or more to the Big Day from Sept. 1 through Oct. 31 are eligible to receive SFBBO’s 2026 -shirt (please see above for more information). Learn more on our Bird Photo Big Day webpage. Thank you to Board Member Lisa Myers for helping lead the Big Day this year!
Band-a-Thon “Per Bird” Fundraising Game
The Band-a-Thon is a special campaign to raise money for our Coyote Creek Field Station (CCFS) landbird banding research and education program. There are two ways to participate.
Pledge Per Bird: To pledge to donate a certain amount per bird we catch at CCFS from September 12 through October 11, 2026, please contact us at outreach@sfbbo.org, or call us (408) 946-6548 ext. 2. We will send you a final count on Oct. 13th so you can calculate your final donation. Since 2003, captures during this period have ranged from 379 to 1026 birds. You can put a cap on the amount you give.
Lump Sum Donation: You can also make a straight lump sum donation to support the Band-a-Thon (please donate below). Donations can also be made by check. Please include a note sharing what it is for. You can send an email to outreach@sfbbo.org letting us know you sent your check.
All donations to the Band-a-Thon at $80 or more from Sept. 1-Oct. 31 are eligible to receive SFBBO’s 2026 t-shirt (please see above for more information).
Bird Hour Virtual Science Talks
You can also join us for two great Birdy Hour virtual science talks. The events are free and also fundraisers, and all gifts of $80 or more to the Big Day from Sept. 1 through Oct. 31 are eligible to receive SFBBO’s 2026 -shirt (please see above for more information).
Birdy Hour with Stephanie Ellis: Brrrrds – Winter’s Feathered Storm Survivors – Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026 – 5:30-6:30 p.m.
For those who have visited or lived in colder climates. Have you ever wondered why ducks feet don’t freeze on icy ponds? Why do so many birds spend the winter in frigid locations instead of migrating farther south? Join Stephanie Ellis, Executive Director of Wild Care, Inc. (based on the East Coast), as she gives this informative talk on how birds survive freezing temperatures and storms and how we can support our otherwise fair-weather friends. Stephanie Ellis has been the Executive Director of Wild Care for 10 years. Wild Care is a wildlife rehabilitation hospital located on Cape Cod in MA. For over two decades, she has worked on both coasts of the United States doing wildlife rehabilitation, environmental advocacy, and avian conservation work. She has a fondness for mice, birds and bird eggs. Thank you to former SFBBO outreach specialist and interim executive director Stephanie Ellis for offering another great Birdy Hour to SFBBO!
Birdy Hour with Dr. Lynne Trulio: Habitat Gardening: What You Can Do to Support Birds -Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026 – 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Want to know how you can take action, in your own backyard, to support birds? In this talk, Lynne will guide you through information on how we can help support bird biodiversity with our gardens, no matter how big or small. She’ll discuss bird biodiversity in California, habitat conditions resident and migratory birds need, and great native plant species that can support a range of bird species. Lynne Trulio is a long-time volunteer with SFBBO, especially serving on the Board of Directors for a number of years. As a UC Master Gardener, she is combining her love of birds and California ecology to encourage gardeners (and others) to support our native species through Habitat Gardening. She is a professor emeritus of Environmental Studies at San Jose State University and is a wildlife ecologist, primarily studying birds and mammals. Her speciality is the ecology of the Burrowing Owl. In the past, Lynne was the lead Scientist for the South Bay Salt Ponds Restoration Project and was an Environmental Fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She has a Ph.D. in Ecology from UC Davis. Thank you to SFBBO Board Co-Chair Lynne Trulio for offering another great Birdy Hour to SFBBO!
Online Silent Auction – Sept. 12-Oct. 11, 2026
From artwork to birding gear to exciting outdoor adventures, SFBBO is offering something for everyone in our Online Silent Auction! The auction will run from Sept. 12-Oct 11, 2026. Gift certificates and gift cards will be mailed to bid winners, everything else must be picked up by the bid winner at designated locations by Dec. 31st, 2026. (auction site link and pick-up locations coming soon). Thank you to Board Member Elaine Lea-Chou for leading the auction this year!
Visit SFBBO in the Community
Visit the SFBBO table at several community events we are participating in during the California Fall Challenge, get to know our board and volunteers, learn how you can get involved, collect surprise “give-aways,” check out our 2026 t-shirt artwork, and make a donation while you are there. Events include Nightlife: Birds at the California Academy of Sciences on Sept. 10; National Public Lands Day at REI on Sept. 12; Open House at the Ohlone Humane Society Wildlife Rehabilitation Center on Oct. 17; and the Bay Area Science Festival on Oct. 17. Learn more on by visiting our Events webpage. Thank you to SFBBO’s Board Fund Develope Committee Chair Karan Gathani for leading our tabling events.