San Diego Bird Alliance Birdathon

In 1983, Phil Pryde and Howie Wier conducted the first San Diego Birdathon, in which teams try to see how many bird species they can identify in 24 hours. This idea has since brought together birders, nature lovers, friends, and families each spring to celebrate nature and raise funds to support San Diego Bird Alliance's conservation, education, and advocacy efforts.

What is Birdathon, and how can I participate?

Birdathon is like a walkathon, except instead of counting miles, you count birds! Teams and individuals pick a day to get outside in San Diego County and try to identify as many species as possible within 24 hours, while raising funds along the way.

It’s a fun activity - an opportunity to get outside to enjoy the beauty of nature, see the birds we love, and support the work San Diego Bird Alliance does to protect them. And for those with a competitive side, it's a chance to win sweet, sweet bragging rights for a year.

You don’t have to be a pro birder to participate in Birdathon. If you love to explore the beauty of nature, meet new friends, and make a positive impact in your local community, you are in the right place! Birdathoners can choose any day from April 11 - May 11 as their birding day. Teams can begin fundraising as soon as the team is formed, engaging friends and families to support their team.

Ways to Participate

Join a team - Get out there and go birding with others on a San Diego Bird Alliance-organized team with a local team leader
Start a team - Band together with friends, coworkers, etc., pick a fun team name, and combine forces for good!
Participate on your own or with family and friends
Support one of our Birdathon teams by making a donation in their honor

General Rules

Bird count must be conducted within a single 24-hour period
Birding must take place within San Diego County
Birds can be identified either by sight or sound, but pictures/recordings will be requested for unusual sightings
Teams can bird together or separately, as long as the above rules are followed
All collected donations and final species list must be turned in by May 31st
Follow the Birding Code of Ethics

Registration for the 2025 Birdathon will open soon!

Birdathon 2024 Highlights

The 2024 Birdathon was bigger and birdier than ever before, breaking records in all categories! 97 valiant Birdathoners across 11 teams raised a collective $31,831 supporting our local conservation, outdoor education, and environmental advocacy work. This fundraising achievement was made possible by over 200 donors supporting their friends, family and coworkers in their birding endeavors. Thank you to everyone who made this year's Birdathon a huge success!

In a shocking last-minute upset, Team ElderBirds overtook Silent Siskins to secure the most funds raised by the fundraising deadline. In a televised victory speech (ok, it was an email), ElderBirds co-captain Vickie said:

Thank you to all the Birdathon Teams and donors for supporting the birds and their environment. Donations, large and small, collectively make a difference. Go Team ElderBirds!

Shout-outs to teams Silent Siskins and Wandering Totalers who continued to bring in donations after the winners' plaque was printed (ok, it was also an email).

Team Bowling for Buffleheads broke the record for most species seen in 24 hours with an unprecedented 200, throwing down the gauntlet for future teams. Shout-out to the Quintet Dippers who saw 175 species, which also broke the 2023 record of 171. Both teams expressed that the real prize was getting to bird for a full day for a good cause!

Birdathon is a collective effort, and we celebrate everyone's individual take on the concept. However, for stats-lovers, here are the final leaderboards: