Birdathon
Every spring, our Birdathon teams venture out, 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 happy to announce that our Birdathon 2025 partner is SELVA Colombia, and our fundraiser will be for environmental education in Santa Maria, Boyacá to strengthen community engagement in bird tourism, restoration and protected area management.
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SELVA has been working in the municipality of Santa Maria, Colombia, since 2014, having found high densities of wintering Cerulean Warblers , as well as healthy populations of Canada Warbler, Acadian Flycatcher and other migrants that summer in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The presence of a hydroelectric dam in the municipality that actively protects mid-elevation forests and provides security, has increasingly led to the consolidation of Santa Maria as a destination for scientific tourism and for bird watching. Nonetheless, participation in these activities by local community members is still limited and the value chain has not been fully developed. Bucking this trend is Diana Caterine Acosta, who has established an ecotourism outfit and has been actively linking local community members to her activities. There is still an immediate need to build capacity for guiding and supporting scientific researchers, as well as for active participation within the management of existing protected areas and carrying out ecological restoration. Our support for this project will see Diana Caterine lead education activities in local schools, train the next generation of guides and also foster efforts to strengthen community- led management of protected areas within the municipality, especially the 19,300 hectare Cuchillas Negra y Guanaque areas.
La Almenara - a popular birding trail.
Santa Maria Bird Festival
We will soon post a donation form that can be printed; for now, click here to donate and be sure to select Birdathon from the drop-down menu.
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.
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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.