Fort Collins Audubon Society

What is a Birdathon?

It is an activity by which an Audubon chapter can raise much needed funds to support its programs and meet its operating expenses.

When is the Birdathon?

The Birdathon Count Period (BCP) will run from Friday, May 3rd, to Sunday, May 12th. This 10-day period gives teams greater flexibility to accommodate team members’ availability.

How does a Birdathon work?

Volunteers organize themselves into two- to five-person teams, including the team leader. Teams then go afield to count as many different species as possible in a 24-hour period that falls within then BCP.

Are there any Geographical Limits for the Birdathon?

Yes. Teams are restricted to species counting in just Larimer and Weld counties. Some hard core teams have even gone owling as far away as Cameron Pass, up the Poudre.

Where do the funds come from?

Funds are raised from pledges solicited (a) from Audubon members at Program Meetings or through the FCAS web site, (b) from Birdathon team members, and (c) by team members from friends, families and coworkers. All pledges must be made prior to the Birdathon Count Period.

Pledges may be made by donors either to a specific team or to the chapter. Teams are responsible for collecting pledges made to their team.

Pledge amounts may either be (a) a fixed amount, or (b) a specific amount per species, or both. The number of species used to determine the pledged amount will be either (a) a specific team’s species count, or (b) the species count of the team that observes the highest number of species.

Are there any prizes?

Yes. The team with the highest species count, the team with the largest number of unique species (species not counted by any other team), and the team that raise the most money will each receive prizes which, as of 2019-03-13, have yet to be determined.