birdathon 2026

We are excited to launch Birdathon during Georgia Bird Fest for our Centennial year from April 11 to May 2. Birdathon is a peer-to-peer fundraising challenge where individuals and teams raise funds by spotting focal bird species while enjoying time outdoors. There is not just one way to participate in our Birdathon and proceeds support Birds Georgia's conservation and outreach programs across Georgia.
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join the challenge

Birdathon 2026 will take place between 12:01am on April 11th to 11:59pm on May 2nd during Georgia Bird Fest and our Centennial Year. Your team can bird any or all of that time! During these three weeks of spring migration and Georgia Bird Fest, you can participate as an individual or form a team with friends, family, or your local birding community. Your team can bird any or all of that time!
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​Your Birdathon Challenge Can Range From:
  • Seeking out the most species possible across the state or select county
  • Recording species in your backyard or local birding spot
  • Completing a single big day 
  • Creating a fun customizable challenge (most owls possible, birds spotted while biking, a big sit, or anything in between)

How to Sign Up for Birdathon:
  1. Register to become an individual or team participate for Birdathon here
  2. Create an individual or team fundraising page through the Birdathon campaign page here
  3. Share your fundraising page with your friends and family
  4. Go birding and raise funds for birds in Georgia from April 11 - May 2 
  5. Submit your final report to [email protected] by Wednesday May 6, 2026 at 5:00PM and each member of your team must be registered in order to be eligible to win prizes.
Individuals or teams will ask for donations, either per bird spotted, for select goals achieved, or simply general support for you or your team. Participates can bird any time frame or all of the challenge period from April 11 - May 2, and prizes will be awarded along the way. 

How to participate

Join us for a monumental Birdathon as Birds Georgia celebrates its Centennial year. We encourage you to join us on Georgia Bird Fest events for exclusive opportunities to raise money and record species for your Birdathon Challenge. If you have questions regarding Birdathon or need help setting up your fundraising page, please reach out to us at [email protected].
Join as a Individual
You can enter the Birdathon Challenge by creating an individual fundraising page. You can create your personal fundraising page after registering here.
  • You will need to log into their Birds Georgia account. Birds Georgia Members would use their same member login information. If you do not have an account, you can create one for free by clicking "Create an account" at the end of the login page.
​Join as a team
Got a group of friends you like to bird with? Form a team! 

Here are the steps to create a team: 
  1. If you can come up with at least one other person to bird with, you can form a team. You may choose to gather a team of up to 5 individuals.
  2. Once you have a team, come up with a catchy team name and select your Team Captain to create one team page after registering here. The Team Captain will need to log into their Birds Georgia account. Birds Georgia Members would use their same member login information. If you do not have an account, you can create one for free by clicking "Create an account" at the end of the login page. 
  3. Once you set up your team page, you can begin collecting donations and strategizing for Birdathon!
Fundraising Goals & Tips 
Set a fundraising goal for your Birdathon Challenge! It can be any number of your choosing and can be adjusted as at any time. As an incentive, the team that raises the most money will win a prize.

You can receive donations from your network by: 
  • Flat donations: Donors give a one-time donation of any amount by clicking donate on your fundraising page or using this donation form where they can select your fundraising page from the dropdown.
  • Per-species pledges:  Donors pledge to donate per species seen. If the donor pledges $0.50 per species and you see 50 species, they donate $25. Direct donors to fill out the donation and pledge form and they will be sent over the total number of species at the end of your challenge and asked to submit their donation. There first donation will be processed once they fill out the form to secure their first bird pledge.
Your supporters may also collect checks (made out to Birds Georgia with “Birdathon 2026” in the memo line). Checks can be mailed or dropped off at our office at 825 Warner Street SW, Suite B, Atlanta, GA 30310.  

A few ways to make Fundraising easy and effective:
Raising support for your Birdathon doesn’t have to be complicated. This is a fun, low-pressure way to invite others into something you care about—birds, nature, and conservation across Georgia. Most people are happy to give, especially when they understand why it matters to you.
  • Start with your “why” and share short, genuine message about why you’re participating goes a long way. Whether it’s your love of birding or protecting habitats, your reason is what inspires others to give.
  • Ask more people than you think. Support often comes from the people you least expect
  • Remind people that their donation supports real change for protecting birds, advancing community science, and expanding education programs across Georgia
  • Use what platforms you already use! Text a few friends, send a quick email, or post a photo from your birding day
  • Sharing updates (especially bird sightings) keeps people engaged and will help you gain support! Tag us @birdsgeorgia or use hashtag #BirdsGeorgiaBirdathon
  • When someone donates, thank them. After Birdathon, share how it went including what you saw, what you raised, and why it mattered.​
  • Most of all have fun and encourage others to join the challenge! 

Note: All donations are fully tax-deductible.
offical rules and reporting
  1. All individuals and team members must be registered and have an active fundraising page.  Your fundraising page will be viewable on the main campaign fundraising page where you can customize your team page and gather supporters.
  2. Birds may be reported between 12:01am on April 11th, 2026 to 11:59pm on May 2nd, 2026. Birds seen outside this window are not eligible to be counted.
  3. Birds must be seen in Georgia to be eligible to be counted.
  4. Teams must have at least 1 member and no more than 5 members.
  5. Individuals and teams are expected not to trespass and must adhere to the ABA code of birding ethics http://listing.aba.org/ethics/
Individuals and teams must report all birds to the best of their ability and update their fundraising page with their pledges and total number of birds seen by Wednesday, May 6th, at 5:00pm.

All lists (with team name in checklist comments) must be shared with the Birds Georgia Birdathon e-Bird account (“GABIRDATHON”) before the final tally deadline of Wednesday, May 6th, at 5:00pm. Trip reports will also be accepted. See how to create a trip report for more information. 

Note: Birds Georgia Staff reserve the right to deny any record on the basis of rarity or lack of evidence. Please document rare species with photo or audio.
How to Win
Victors will be announced via Birds Georgia’s social media and newsletters by Friday, May 8th, 2026. Prizes will go to both individuals and teams that:
  1. Raise the most money
  2. Record the most birds they see
  3. Attend the most Georgia Bird Fest events during Birdathon
  4. Best all-around effort, including number of species, funds raised, and social media strategy
​Note: Participants may win only one category.
How to support Birdathon
You have two ways to support Birdathon: 
  1. Pay Now with a flat donation
  2. Pay Later with a challenge pledge 
For a challenge pledge, select an amount ($.50, $1, etc.) to donate per species seen. Your first donation today will secure the first bird, and we'll follow up after Birdathon ends with your final total.
Note: Please include details of your Challenge Pledge in the form comments.

Supporting a team by writing a check? 
​Make checks payable to Birds Georgia and write name of team on memo line. 
Send to:
Birds Georgia
825 Warner St. SW, Suite B, Atlanta, GA 30310 ​
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How to Manage your Fundraising page
Make your page personal and fun by including a story of why you are participating in this year's Birdathon, share details about your personal challenge and add a picture to your fundraising page. 
Remember, you can log into your fundraiser portal to: 
  • Personalize your page with your story, photos, and goals
  • Post updates to your fundraising page
  • See your page’s activity
You can log into your fundraiser portal in three ways: 
  1. Log into your Birds Georgia account and click on "Fundraiser Portal" on the left side panel under Portal Pages
  2. Select the Fundraiser Login tab on the member login page and use your same account login information
  3. Click Login at the top right of the Birdathon Campaign page
Once you have finalized the details on your fundraising page, promote it by sharing the page's URL or use the social media links under your personal "Donate" button at the bottom of your fundraising page. 

Celebrate with us

Join us for a Birdathon Wrap-Up Party on Friday, May 9, at 5:00PM at Round Trip Brewing Company located at 1279 Seaboard Industrial Blvd NW, Atlanta, GA 30318​. ​We look forward to celebrating with all our Birdathon participants and supporters. Winners will be announced.