Celebrate Birds!
Since 1993, birders in Canada, the United States, Mexico and Central America have celebrated World Migratory Bird Day. The goal is to focus attention on the spectacular journey migratory birds take, flying between their winter and summer homes.
The focus this year is to reduce the impact of light pollution on migratory birds. Light pollution attracts and disorients nocturnally migrating birds, making them more likely to land in areas where they are more vulnerable to collisions and other dangers. At least 100 million birds die every year from colliding with buildings in the United States alone. Artificial light also impacts birds in the breeding and winter seasons, disrupting feeding and other vital behaviors. Because artificial light affects birds in so many ways, it is impossible to know just how many birds are impacted by light pollution every year around the globe.
Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy will Celebrate Birds from April 23 through May 22, 2022, the height of migration in our area, with special bird walks and with the Birdathon.
Join Us for a Bird Walk
We will hold a series of bird walks during this period to Celebrate Birds. These walks take place at locations such as the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship, Bles Park, Banshee Reeks and other great places with natural areas within the county. View the list of bird walks.
Participate in the Birdathon
The Birdathon is a 48-hour event in which you and your team see how many species and how many birds you can count! It’s a fun way to get outside and it’s our largest fund-raising event every year, which helps to pay for our environmental education programs and conservation efforts.
We invite you to take part by forming a team or by supporting one of the teams. Your team can be you and your friends, your family, co-workers or a youth group – anyone with an interest in nature. Learn about forming a Birdathon team.
Everyone is welcome ─ expert birders, backyard birdwatchers, and beginners! Like a walkathon, Birdathon participants collect pledges and donations from friends, family members, and co-workers for finding and counting bird species. You pick any 48-hour time period you want and with your team, count every species you observe.
Check out Tips for New Birdathon Teams, written by Gerco Hoogeweg, a member of the Raven Loonatics, for advice on how to have a fun and successful experience.
We’re offering prizes for the most species observed by a team, by a family, by a team competing for the first time, by a team of fledgling birders (age 18 or younger) and for the most money raised.
Your supporters can donate here.
If you want to make a pledge instead, email contact@loudounwildlife.org.
