Birdathon is Back for 2026!

Birdathon Rules

  1. Birding time is  6 p.m. Friday to 6 p.m. Saturday.
  2. Jackson County is the geographic area for our birdathon. Birds observed outside the county don’t count.
  3. Your team must bird as a group and can’t break into smaller groups to bird.
  4. Birds count if identified by sight or sound.
  5. Bird song apps are allowed.
  6. Typically big days only have four member teams, but since this is a fundraiser and fun-raiser, we don’t have any limit on team size, but again you must bird together as one group.
  7. As this is a fundraiser, each team should try to secure pledges and is responsible for making sure the pledgees are informed of what they owe after the event and how to make payment.

Useful forms

Species Checklist

Pledge Form

Birdathon is… 

  1. a) a chance to celebrate Southern Oregon’s spring migration in the company of other birders
  2. b) a competitive sport
  3. c) an important fundraiser for the Rogue Valley Audubon Society
  4. d) all of the above
Birdathon is back – May 1 and 2, 2026.  The object of Birdathon is for sponsored teams to count as many species as possible within a 24-hour period in Jackson County. Teams can range widely or stick close to home, so long as they stay in the county.
In a nutshell, here’s how it works:
Form teams. Call your best birding buddies, or recruit a newbie. Most teams include two to five birders, although a single individual may also comprise a team.
Notify RVAS. Email Carol Mockridge that your team will be participating. This will be helpful in making the dinner reservations. Use email link below or call her at 360-829-7505.
Find sponsors. A person can sponsor your team with either a fixed donation or an amount per species your team sees. Donors may mail checks to Rogue Valley Audubon at PO Box 8597 Medford, OR 97501 or may donate online on the Donate Page.
Count species. The event officially begins on Friday, May 1 at 6 p.m. and ends 24 hours later, but you count species any time within that window.
Celebrate! A celebratory dinner on Saturday night allows teams to compare notes and claim bragging rights. Join us at Jackson Creek Pizza at 700 Biddle Rd., Medford right after 6 p.m.
Past Birdathon teams:
Birdathon 2025 raised an amazing $5,000.
  • The Chickadees, (Carol Mockridge, Amanda Alford, Janet Kelly, Kay Simmons and Leslie Hart) raised just over $3,400 claiming the trophy for a second year in a row.
  • The Great Grays (Bob Hunter, Frank Lospalluto, Anne Goff, Brian Barr and Gretchen Ousterhout ) saw the most species (135 species).

FAQs

What if I’m not an experienced birder?
The fierce competition among the “hard-core” teams is legendary, but you need not be an elite birder to participate in Birdathon. In fact, your ability to find sponsors is just as important as your ability to identify warblers.

How do I find a team?
Give you friends a call and plan your route or call Carol Mockridge at 360-829-7505.

Can my family be a team?
Yes! We want to encourage kids and families to participate in Birdathon. And remember, you can choose any length of time, whether all day, half a day, or an hour.

I don’t want to get my boots muddy, but I’d still like to contribute.
Consider sponsoring a team or sending in a donation.

I still don’t get it.
If you’ve never participated in this annual event, why not make 2025 your year? To sign up your team or for more info, contact Carol Mockridge at 360-829-7505. A celebratory dinner on Saturday night allows teams to compare notes and claim bragging rights. Join us at Jackson Creek Pizza at 700 Biddle Rd., Medford right after 6 p.m.

Carol MockridgeBirdathon Coordinator

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