Birdathon Info & How-to

Big Day
Count as many individual species as possible within a 24 hour period. High species count wins!

Brand New to Birdathon
Never done a Birdathon before? Well here’s a category just for you! Take the jump out of the nestbox and fly on your own to count birds for conservation in your own unique and fun way. This category will be judged by our panel of honorary judges.

Birdathon Beyond AZ
Not everybody who loves Tucson Audubon lives in Arizona. Why not host a Birdathon where you live? Support our fundraising and conservation efforts from afar. Previous Tucson Audubon Birdathons have been held in Mexico, Switzerland and all over the United States. This category will be judged by our panel of honorary judges.

Grand Champions
A panel of honorary judges will evaluate all aspects of your Birdathon efforts including number of species seen, funds raised, outreach aspects, and uniqueness of effort. Give it all you’ve got and have fun with it!

Best Bucks for Birds
All of the funds you raise go to support Tucson Audubon’s conservation, advocacy, habitat restoration, education, field trips, and scientific studies that help protect the birds of Southeast Arizona and their habitats. This award goes to the team or participant who raises the most money.

High Flyers
Top 5 teams that raise the most money will be invited to a special bird outing with Luke Safford, Director of Engagement.

What kind of Birdathon adventure will you embark upon? Here are some approaches to get your creative juices flowing:

• Traditional Birdathon. How many birds can you find in one 24 hour period?
• Nontraditional Birdathon. Go birding as much as you’d like throughout the month of Birdathon.
• Freebird. Choose your own style of birding. Webcams, art museums, underwater photography… Get creative about finding birds!
• Patch Birding. Choose your favorite hotspot or backyard and count all the birds on a day, or time period of your choosing.
• Photography Birdathon. How many bird species can you get pictures of during Birdathon?
• Conservation Focus. Do you have a special area you want to highlight in your Birdathon to raise conservation awareness?
• Bird from Home. Visit a feeder cam from Panama or the Paton Center and count the birds you see from your laptop.

CREATE YOUR TEAM AND DONATION PAGE

Now is the time to register your team/create your donation page. Whether you’re doing Birdathon as a team, or on your own, you’ll start with creating a unique name for your adventure. Be prepared to send an image (favorite bird you hope to see? a picture of your Birdathon team?), text (who’s on your team? what’s creative about your Birdathon? how many Birdathons have you participated in?), and fundraising goal. Create your page now.

PROMOTE YOUR BIRDATHON

Share the link to your team page with everyone you know! You can also easily promote your page by using the social media buttons below your “Donate” button. Post it on Tucson Audubon’s Facebook page or share it on Instagram by tagging @tucsonaudubon and including #tasbirdathon2024 in your post. Check out some fundraising tips below!

FLAT DONATIONS VS. PER SPECIES PLEDGES

Encourage your friends and family to make a flat donation to your team, or to pledge per bird species seen during your Birdathon by using the Per Species Pledge Form. Tucson Audubon will let you know as pledges come in so you can reach back out to your supporters with your species count after your Birdathon is complete. Supporters can then donate to your team, online or by check, by multiplying their pledge amount by the number of species your team observed.

REPORT YOUR SPECIES

To be eligible for prizes, participants must register, collect pledges, and turn in all forms to Diana Rosenblum by Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at 5 pm. All Birdathoners are also encouraged to submit your bird findings to eBird.org.

RECORD YOUR VOLUNTEER HOURS

All participants will receive 8 hours of volunteer time, regardless of actual time spent. PLEASE fill out THE VOLUNTEER HOURS FORM to record them. 

Asking people to support your Birdathon might seem intimidating, but this is one of the easiest and most enjoyable fundraisers to participate in! Birdathon is a great way to engage your friends and family in what you are passionate about. People like supporting those they love. See our Pledge Email Template if you need help with the “ask.”

Here are some helpful tips:

Make It Personal

Tell your story about how you got involved in Tucson Audubon and why you chose to support the mission.

Look Far and Wide

You never know who will want to support your Birdathon efforts, so ask everyone you know! Sometimes people are just waiting to be asked to help. Whose efforts have you supported in the past? Who shares your passion for birds and their homes?

Take Pride In What You’re Doing

You are sharing your love of birds with so many in Southeast Arizona and raising money for a great cause. The funds you raise for Birdathon ensure that the vital conservation, advocacy, and education efforts of Tucson Audubon can continue far into the future. Let others know what it is you’re making possible!

Share the Message

Use the variety of platforms you have available. All of the ways you stay connected to friends and family are also great ways to let people know about Birdathon. Your social networks can all be leveraged for support! Don’t forget to tag us and use #tasBirdathon2024 and #birdathon2024

Be Grateful

Acknowledge contributions as soon as you receive them. Follow up with your supporters to show how successful your Birdathon was and consider sharing photos, bird lists, a report, or highlights.

Per Species Pledge Form
Let your supporters know they can use this form if they wish to make a pledge per species

Pledge Email Template
Don’t know how to make the ask? Here’s an email you can copy!

Fundraising Tips

Volunteer Hours Form
All participants will receive 8 hours of volunteer time