What is a Bird-a-thon?
A Bird-a-thon is a fundraiser - and it's the most important one the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy does each year, so we really need your help! All experience levels are welcome. Simply form a team with some friends, neighbors or kids and select a day between May 7-15 to count as many bird species in a 24 hour period as you can. You can do it for 30 minutes, an hour, a whole day... how long you count during the 24 hour period is up to you.

Prior to your count day, ask people to sponsor your team through pledges (just like when you do a walk-a-thon or sometghing similar). People generally pledge either a flat amount like $10 or $20 or an amount per species, like 50 cents per species, depending on how well they think you'll do and how much they would like to donate.

Or, if you don't want to form a team, you can support this effort my making a pledge!

Who Should Participate?
Expert, novice and backyard birders alike - the key here is to simply have an interest and want to help raise some funds and awareness for Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy.

We have prizes too and anyone who raises or contributes at least $50 will receive an IMBD or Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy t-shirt.

Worried that you are not very good at identifying birds? You’d be surprised - most people already know 25 or more species. So, if you ask for a pledge of $1 per species, you could raise donations of $25 per person, which can really add up.

You can also plan to do your bird counting during one of our International Migratory Bird Day bird walks to get a little help and learn some new birds.

Why Participate in the Bird-a-thon?
The Bird-a-thon is a fun way to get outside and identify birds while raising money for our local birds and their habitat.

The Bird-a-thon is a crucial source of funding for Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy. 

This Bird-a-thon has been used to raise funds for our Bird Atlas project which will generate data to help protect bird habitats. To thank you for your efforts, you'll also be eligible to win some great prizes.

Be a counter and collect pledges. You can count any way you like, from sitting and watching a feeder to visiting a variety of habitats or joining us on one of our IMBD Bird Walks. Just follow these simple steps:

• First, form a team. This is a great activity for families, scout groups and other youth groups as a way to teach children about birds and their habitats while also raising funds for a great cause.
• Select a day for your count between May 7 and May 15. You can do your Bird-a-thon at any time and at any place within Loudoun county during that window and you can count species for as many hours as you like during the 24 hour period that you select. 
• Sign up for the Bird-a-thon via our web form. Once we receive your information, we will post your team name on the pledge form so people can sponsor you online. We'll email you any sponsorships that come in for your team so you can follow up with the donor.    
• Download the bird-a-thon materials from the drop-down menu below. They include the pledge form, the bird checklist and more.
• Enlist your sponsors (family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, businesses, your employer), asking them to make a pledge. Don’t be shy. You’ll be surprised how many people will contribute.  Some people may pledge a flat sum amount and give you a check on the spot while others may sponsor you on a per species basis (e.g. .25 cents per species). All pledges are tax deductible.
• On the day of your counting, find as many species as possible and mark off the checklist. Refer to our Bird-a-thon Rules for specific guidelines.
• After the count, fill in your totals, collect your pledges and mail your sponsor sheet, money raised and bird checklist to Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy no later than June 15.