What is the Birdathon?
When is the Birdathon?
Where is the Birdathon?
How Does the Birdathon Help Birds?
Do I have to collect pledges?
What is the Birdathon for Beginners?
Where is the Birdathon for Beginners?
What is the City Birding Challenge?

You’ve probably heard of a walk-a-thon or a bike-a-thon, but what is a bird-a-thon?
The Birdathon is an exciting day of birding, friendly competition and fundraising rolled into one big event. Armed with binoculars, participants of all skill levels and ages fan out across the five boroughs in an effort to count as many bird species as possible. Every bird they see translates into money raised in support of NYC Audubon’s local bird conservation work. Participation is FREE and open to everyone.

The Birdathon takes place on the second Saturday of May, to coincide with the peak of spring migration and International Migratory Bird Day. This year's Birdathon will take place on Saturday, May 10 from midnight to midnight. Don't be intimidated by the 24 hour time period. Start whenever you want and bird for as long as you like. Remember, the longer you bird, the more birds you are likely to see and the more money you will raise.

All over New York City! Go birding wherever you want within the five boroughs. Choose your favorite park, neighborhood or waterway and bird alone or with a group. You can even bird in your backyard!

When you participate in the Birdathon, you are helping to raise awareness about wild birds and their habitat needs in New York City. Every time you ask someone to sponsor your day of birding with a pledge, one more person learns about the hundreds of species that live in New York City and the importance of protecting their natural habitat. 100% of the money raised directly supports NYC Audubon and its education and conservation programs.

No. Collecting pledges is encouraged, but not required for any of the events.

Not everyone is an expert birder so we offer free guided walks for people who want to take part in the fun, challenge and fundraising of the Birdathon but need a little extra help when it comes to bird identification.

This year the Birdathon for Beginners will have two locations. In Manhattan, guide Oakes Ames will lead a walk through the Ramble in Central Park (meet at the Boathouse). In Brooklyn/Queens, guide Don Riepe will lead a walk through the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge (meet at the wildlife center). Both walks will begin at 10am.

Teams of 2-4 people scour the 5 boroughs in a race to see who can identify the most bird species in 24 hours. The Challenge is more than a competition—it's also an opportunity for participants to help raise awareness about the incredible number of bird species that rely on our city's precious natural areas. By collecting pledges from sponsors, teams raise important funds for NYC Audubon's education and conservation programs in New York City. You don't need to be an expert to play. Birders of all ages and skill levels are encouraged to get in the game.