Birdathon: May 1 - 31, 2024
Join us for our most exciting fundraiser of the year!
Birdathon is a uniquely Audubon way to support our mission and help protect our birds.
Photo by Glenn Landberg
Our Birdathon has two components:
Friendly birding competition
In this hallmark activity of our Birdathon, teams compete in a friendly birding competition to see who can spot the most bird species and raise the most money while doing it.
Similar to a walk-a-thon, participants collect pledges from family, friends, work colleagues, and others who want to support local wildlife conservation. But instead of getting a pledge of $1.00 per mile walked, participants ask for a pledge for each bird species seen by a person or team. Teams can also ask for pledges of flat amounts (i.e., $25).
Participants can rack up species counts and pledges for the entire month of May.
Photography contest
Our contest focuses on the incredible birds of Washington state. We are lucky to have so many talented photographers in our state, and our contest provides opportunities for both young and elder to showcase their photography in our youth and adult categories.
Fundraisers like Birdathon are critical to our ability to carry out our mission of protecting and conserving our local bird communities. Every pledge and donation, no matter how large or small, makes an enormous difference in supporting our efforts.
Help us reach our goal of $15,000!
Participate in our Friendly Birding Competition
Emphasis on friendly! This is all in good fun, and the real winners are the birds because you are helping to boost local bird conservation efforts - thank you!
Simply follow the steps below to participate and show your support for birds!
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Create and register your team here. Teams can be one individual or as many people as you would like.
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Ask your friends, family, and social circles to support your team and passion by making a pledge to your team. Pledges can be for a fixed amount or a per species pledge. For example, a friend could pledge to donate $50 or they could pledge $0.50 per species you see. See our pledge form and fundraising tips to get started!
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This year we will have the following categories:
Big Day - see as many species as you can in a 24-hour period anywhere in the world
Washington Big Month - see as many species as you can anywhere in the state during the whole month
Global Big Month - see as many species as you can anywhere in the world during the whole month
You can participate in one, two, or all three categories simultaneously, no need to choose just one! Use our Birdathon species checklist to keep track of your Washington birds.
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Throughout the month, be sure to report your species counts and pledges so we can update the team tracker below! Fill out the form to submit your totals.
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At the end of the month, follow up with your supporters who have made pledges and collect their pledged amounts based on your birding success! Be sure to fill them in on how your Birdathon month went! Tell them about your best sighting, funniest story, or best memory from the event.
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Send in your collected donations and pledges to:
Pilchuck Audubon Society
1429 Ave D, PMB 198
Snohomish, WA 98290
Or, if your sponsors would like to submit their pledge online they can use our online donation form, just have them mention your team name in the comments box.
Be a Sponsor/Donor
Maybe you’re not really a bird person, but your best friend or relative lives and breathes birds. You can support their passion by making a fixed pledge to their Birdathon team at any time (for example, $50), or by making a per-species pledge towards their final species count (for example, $0.50 per species). Make a donation here or let them know you want to make a pledge! Help us reach our goal of $15,000!
How to submit your species count & pledges
Click the button below to submit your updated species count and pledge totals. Please submit these as often as you’d like, but at least once per week. We will keep a running tally for each team, so send in your updated numbers often and check back frequently to see how everyone is doing!
Big Day (Species Counts)
Washington Big Month (Species Counts)
Global Big Month (Species Counts)
Start Organizing Your Birdathon
Register: Fill out this form to register yourself or your team for Birdathon!
Pledge Form: Track sponsors and their donations using this printable sheet.
Fundraising Tips: Use our email templates and strategies to engage more sponsors!
Species Checklist: Get your custom Birdathon checklist for Washington State
Meet Our Teams: See who’s competing this year!
Unable to participate this year but still want to support our programs, science, and conservation efforts? Make a donation today!
Top fundraising and birding teams from previous years
Funds raised and number of species in parentheses
| Top Fundraising Team | Big Day | Washington Big Month | Global Big Month | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Clark's Nutcrackers ($6,277) |
Clark's Nutcrackers (91) |
Clark's Nutcrackers (235) |
Clark's Nutcrackers (235) |
| 2022 | Timberdoodles ($3,700) |
Counting Crows (58) |
Timberdoodles (226) |
Timberdoodles (226) |
| 2021 | Birderline Personalities ($3,840) |
Birderline Personalities (101) |
Birderline Personalities (153) |
Birderline Personalities (218) |
| 2020 | Exploring Egtvedts ($2,389) |
Birderline Personalities (173) |