Bird-a-thon FAQ

What is Bird-a-thon?

Bird-a-thon is a fundraiser and birding competition. This event brings birders, nature-lovers, and families together—virtually and in-person—to celebrate nature and raise funds that provide essential year-round support for Mass Audubon's conservation, nature education, and advocacy work.

No matter if you join for the fun of it or for the thrill of competition (or both!), every team member has the opportunity to enjoy birds while raising or donating essential funds for Mass Audubon.

Rally your friends and family to join you or support your fundraising efforts and go birding with us May 12-13!

How does Bird-a-thon work?

• Participants join teams representing different Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuaries and programs. 
• Team members then support their team by raising money for the sanctuaries and programs affiliated with their team and birding (either competitively or casually). 

See our full rules and birding code of ethics.

How do I join a team?

To see which teams are participating this year, click here to Join a Team, find your preferred team, then click "Join" next to the team name, and follow the prompts to register.

Registration opens on March 30. Just click the "Join" button next to a team name to get started. Whether you raise a lot or a little, every dollar makes an impact!

Do I have to be interested in birds or birdwatching to participate in Bird-a-thon?

Nope—you don't have to be a birder to participate in Bird-a-thon! Everyone is welcome to join a team—whether you're in to birding, love exploring nature, or just want a good reason to get outside on a spring day. If birds aren't your thing, you can focus on fundraising for your team and taking part in the nature activities available on the Mass Audubon website.

Do I need to be an experienced birder in order to bird for my team?

Not at all! Beginners and casual birders are welcome. Teams can win birding awards in two ways—by recording the greatest number of species on the Official Species Checklist, or by having the highest overall birding points total.

If you would like to be part of your team's competitive birding sub-group, you can apply beginning March 30. Since there is a size limit for each team's competitive birding sub-group, Team Captains may not be able to place all interested birders on that group roster.

Whether you're birding as part of the competitive birding sub-group or out there earning birding points on your own, the species you see will contribute to your team's chances of snagging an award!

How do I fundraise?

It's as easy as 1, 2, 3, 4!

1. Join a team and create a fundraising page.
   Set your fundraising goal—Bird-a-thon is set a minimum fundraising goal of $125 for each participant. This goal must be reached by May 31, 2023, but don’t stop there! Spread your wings and set your goals high - will you raise $250? $500? $750?
2. Make a Donation! Kickstart your fundraising by donating to your own personal or team page. This shows your donors that you mean business and YOU are invested in the cause as well.
3. Share your Story tell your audience why Bird-a-thon is important to you. Check out our great social media resources for inspiration.
4. Share your page with your friends send it via email, share on social media, and get the word out. Don’t be shy! Generally, a donor needs to be asked several times to donate before a donation is actually made.

*If you receive cash or checks you can use the offline gift form found on your personal fundraising page to record these donations.

If you don’t know who the team captain is for your sanctuary/program contact the Bird-a-thon Coordinator by email.

How do I access the email function of my participant center?

As a Bird-a-thon team member, you have access to great resources, including your participant center where you can email friends and family, track donations year over year, thank donors and more.

Due to security concerns, TeamRaiser no longer allows participants to send emails from their account until they have donated or raised $5 (at any point in the past year), or their account has been active with us for more than a year.

Once one of these qualifiers is met, your emails will send as normal.