Birdathon
It's time for Birdathon 2023!
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. But our love of birds and birding isn’t the only reason we are out there. We are raising funds for bird conservation!
We are pleased to announce that this year’s Birdathon will fund the purchase of VHF antennas to connect to the Motus Wildlife Tracking System. This innovative system tracks the movement of birds that have been outfitted with nano transmitters. As a bird flies within range of a Motus tower, its transmitter is identified in passing. Coverage has improved in some areas of the country, but there remain big gaps, including here in the western North Carolina mountains. We're very excited to help researchers discover more about the conservation needs of migrant and local bird species.
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.
Thank you for your support!
MOTUS Tower
Golden-winged warbler with nano tag (NCWRC).
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.
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.