Sixth Annual TAS
TAS Birdathon 2008
2008

Raise money to protect habitat in south Florida! Win prizes!

Birdathon 2008 will span April 5-20, a period of two weeks and three weekends. You can count birds during any 24 consecutive hours during this period. You can even do your birdathon on any of the TAS bird and nature walks during this period. You don't have to be a hardcore birder to participate. You don't even have to be a birder. In fact you don't even have to leave your yard to have fun, compete for prizes, and help TAS. We see the birdathon becoming a major fundraising event for TAS, just as it is for Audubon chapters across the country.

A birdathon is like a walkathon. You collect pledges for bird species seen instead of miles walked (for example, $1 per bird, 25¢ per bird, etc.), or simply for a flat amount. Birds must be counted during a 24-hour period between April 7th and 22nd. Prize winners and high totals will announced at the TAS Wingding on April 29th. Doing the Birdathon is a lot of fun and every single dollar raised stays right here in south Florida to support Tropical's work. We need your help to do it, so grab some friends, grab your binoculars, and get birding!

You don't have to count for an entire 24 hours (and you don't even have to leave the house). The important thing is to collect pledges.

How to Birdathon!

  1. Get pledges from friends, neighbors, co-workers, strangers. See our birdathon tips page for ideas about how to boost your pledge totals. You can download the pledge sheet and sponsor pledge forms in pdf format.
  2. Tell us your name or your team name by April 13 by calling us at 305-667-7337 or by emailing director@tropicalaudubon.org. We will include your information in our next newsletter. If you don't want to provide this info, no problem! You can still Birdathon but your name or your team name won't appear in the Bulletin.
  3. Count birds. The detailed counting rules are further down this page.
  4. Tell us how many species you saw and how many pledges you received. To be eligible for prizes, this info must be called in by 4 pm April 21st to 305-667-7337. Leave your name, team name, number of birds species seen and total pledged amount. Prize winners will be announced during our annual meeting on April 27th.
  5. Collect pledge donations and forward to TAS at 5530 Sunset Drive, Miami, Fl 33143 by May 9. Pledge money must be delivered to TAS by May 9, 2008 to receive a prize.
  6. Come to the Doc Thomas House on June 2 between 9 am and 5 pm or June 3 between 9 am and 3 pm to collect your prizes and shirts.

Doing the Birdathon is a lot of fun and every single dollar raised stays right here in south Florida to support Tropical's work. We need your help to do it, so grab some friends, grab your binoculars, and get birding!

Birdathon Prizes!

Collecting $40 nets you a colorful TAS license plate holder. Individuals that pledge $40 or more get a TAS license plate holder too! Birdathoners win prizes for raising money and for counting the most birds. Prizes in the past have included birding trips to the Dry Tortugas, binoculars, accommodations in New Orleans and the Keys, Audubon prints, restaurant meals, native plants and more. Check back for a list of this year's prizes or call the Doc Thomas House for info. Please contact us at 305-667-7337 or at director@tropicalaudubon.org if you or your business can donate a prize.

So far, a 2009 birding trip to the Dry Tortugas lead by Larry Manfredi has been donated as a prize. More great prizes will be announced shortly!

Prize categories include

Prizes include

Counting Rules

You may bird either individually or as part of a team. All members of a team must remain within earshot of one another (without using cellphones or radios, etc.) while counting, and all counted birds must be seen or heard by a majority of the team members (that is, at least 3 of 4, 2 of 3, or 2 of 2 members).

For the highest species total categories only, all bird-counting must be confined to the state of Florida (which, don't forget, includes the Dry Tortugas). Exotics, including all psittacids and the infamous Muscovy Duck, are countable as long as they are free and unrestrained. Bird collections of any sort, such as the one at Crandon Gardens, or birds belonging to local golf courses, do not count toward prizes, even if the birds are technically unrestrained. (Whether your sponsor will accept them is between you and your sponsors.)

For More Information

For more information, check the Birdathon Tips page. You can download the pledge sheet and sponsor pledge forms here or from the sidebar.

If you still have questions, email director@tropicalaudubon.org.