Birdathon
It's time for Birdathon 2022!
Every spring, our Birdathon teams venture out before dawn and spend all day, and into the night, trying to spot as many bird species as we can. Once again this year, anyone can participate in our Everyone Can Birdathon. But our love of birds and birding isn’t the only reason we are out there. We are raising funds for bird conservation!
This year, your contributions will help support a project close to our hearts: working with the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy who are managing habitat for Golden-winged Warblers in our nearby mountains. Many of the migratory birds that nest in western NC, including Golden-winged Warblers, have had precipitous drops in their populations. We feel it’s important to contribute to programs that help protect precious habitat for our migratory birds.
More information can be found on our mail-in donation form -- or simply click here to donate and be sure to select Birdathon from the drop-down menu. This year, your donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar to up to $10,000!
Also, have fun this year counting birds by participating in this year's Everyone Can Birdathon! Check out this form for more information and to send us your results!
Thank you for your support!
What is a Birdathon?
Each spring, local birding teams compete to find the highest number of bird species in one day. The goal is to raise funds for bird conservation. Blue Ridge Audubon's Birdathon contributions support efforts to protect critical habitat for our local neotropical migrant birds.
How does it work?
A Birdathon involves teams of birders trying to see (and hear) as many species of birds as possible within a set time period. This can mean either spending the day watching feeders, walking around the local bird sanctuary, or organizing teams to scour our region for birds. Donors can sponsor a team by donating a certain dollar amount per bird or simply by donating a fixed amount. Each team generally counts between 110 and 130 species in a given day. The list of birds observed by each team is posted on our website after the teams have completed their Birdathon.
When is the Birdathon held?
As teams are trying to see as many species as possible, it's best to run the Birdathon during spring migration season and the chosen window is usually from the middle of April through the middle of May. Teams can run their Birdathon whenever they wish during this time period.
Who benefits from the fundraiser?
In past years, Blue Ridge Audubon's Birdathon fundraiser has supported the American Bird Conservancy's BirdScape program in the Central Andes of Colombia and to help reforest and preserve habitat in Nicaragua. The BirdScape initiative works to define large, priority landscapes throughout the Americas that support populations of migratory birds of highest conservation concern.
In addition to supporting these conservation efforts, Blue Ridge Audubon has donated part of the Birdathon proceeds to a UNC Asheville Environmental Studies student in the form of a scholarship.
Blue Ridge Audubon is proud to support these projects.
The Cerulean Warbler Reserve, located in Colombia, was supported by Birdathon proceeds in 2015. The reserve provides crucial overwintering habitat for many neotropical migrant bird species that breed in the mountains of western North Carolina.
Golden-winged Warblers, having experienced steep population declines over the past 60 years, require intact forest on their wintering grounds in Central America. This species benefits from reforestation and preservation projects supported by our Birdathon fundraiser. Photo © Alan Lenk
The Wood Thrush benefits from having intact forest on its wintering grounds. Support of conservation projects in Central and South America is crucial to ensure preservation of this species. Photo © Will Stuart
The Cerulean Warbler Reserve, located in Colombia, was supported by Birdathon proceeds in 2015. The reserve provides crucial overwintering habitat for many neotropical migrant bird species that breed in the mountains of western North Carolina.