Onondaga Audubon’s 63rd Annual Birdathon

SPRING BIRDATHON

Saturday, May 22, 2020

Don’t be shy, give the Spring Birdathon a try!

Bird enthusiasts one and all are invited to participate in this year’s Onondaga Audubon Spring Birdathon.  Timed to take place at the peak of spring migration, this is the perfect opportunity to go out and find some great birds.  Through your participation, you can help document the occurrence of birds throughout Onondaga Audubon’s service area and provide financial support for the important work of Onondaga Audubon, all while enjoying a day of birding.  So, mark your calendar, contact your bird-watching teammates, and start making plans for Birdathon!

Paul Richardson & Whitni Smith
Birdathon Coordinators
OAS.SpringBirdathon@gmail.com

How Birdathon Works (the basics)

Date and Time: Go afield on Saturday, May 22nd for as many (or as few) hours as desired between midnight and midnight  — no rain date!

Boundaries: Anywhere you like within Jefferson, Lewis, Onondaga, Oswego, Madison, Oneida and Herkimer Counties, plus Cayuga County north of Route 31.

Teams: Join another, form you own, or go solo. No assigned territories. Teammates may split up from one another to cover more ground but if you choose to bird together, please use face masks and practice social distancing!

Count: Carefully identify species by sight and/or ear — the honor system please!

Fund-raising: Lining up sponsors (flat donations or so much per species) is optional, but definitely encouraged! We hope you can try to raise $100 per team member.

Bird List Deadline: Submit your results by 4:00 pm Saturday, May 29 by email, or phone. We will not have a compilation picnic at Derby Hill on Sunday due to COVID concerns but hope to revisit this next year.

Final Bird Results: Birding and fundraising results will appear in The Kestrel newsletter and on the Onondaga Audubon website.

Dollars Deadline: Turn in to Birdathon Coordinators by July 15.

Records to Beat

Most Participants – 43 teams, 116 members (1999)
Most Money Combined – $7,500 (2001)
Most Money for a team – $2,001.11 (2017)
Most Species Combined – 209 (2011)
Most Species for a team – 158 (2013)

Here are printable PDFs of 2021 participant information materials. 

2021 Spring Birdathon Announcement
Species Checklist
Fund Raising Tips
Sponsor pledge sign-up sheet
Remittance Sheet

Register

Please get in touch with us prior to the event to let us know that you will be participating.  We will need your team name, member names, address, a telephone number and an E-mail address. We will be sending you additional information on how to report your bird lists (hopefully you choose to use eBird) and how to provide donations. Don’t have a team but want to participate? Let us know and we will help you find a team to join or you can always go solo if you prefer.  Contact us at: OAS.SpringBirdathon@gmail.com

The traditional day-after compilation picnic will not occur this year due to COVID concerns but we will plan to have a virtual compilation on Tuesday, September 22. There, we will learn who found the Best Bird, and the most species in the three categories of Overall, Low Carbon Footprint (within 10 miles of your house), and Yard List.

Report

We ask that you provide your counts prior to 4 pm Sunday to be included in the awards.  Call us to make arrangements if you think you will have trouble making this deadline. We hope that you will consider using eBird to report your lists. To do this please create an eBird account with your team name (or something close if that username is taken). Each member will then send each of their eBird lists for that day to your team list. One team member will then be tasked with sending all of their team lists to OnondagaAudubon and then you’re all set!

Funds raised are due by November 15 so that your total can be included in The Kestrel, but late funds will be gladly accepted through December 31 for credit toward this year’s event.

If your donors contribute on-line thru the Onondaga Audubon website, be sure they include your team name in the notes so that your team will be credited.   onondagaaudubon.com/about/contribute

Sign up now for this exciting bird-watching event and help support Onondaga Audubon’s LOCAL education and bird sanctuary priorities.

Paul Richardson & Whitni Smith
Birdathon Coordinators
OAS.SpringBirdathon@gmail.com

Paul Richardson:
107 Eggleston Dr.
Camillus, NY  13031
Phone: 315-488-5022