Birdathon is Here!

Support Bird Conservation in Montana by Making a Gift to Birdathon

Do you want to make a lasting impact on Montana’s birds and wildlife? Now is your chance. Make a contribution to our Birdathon and your gift will directly benefit the following initiatives: 

• Defending and supporting state and federal policies that protect migratory birds, public lands, and other wildlife. These include Habitat Montana and the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, and many more. 
• Conserving grassland habitat on working lands through our conservation ranching program. So far, we’ve helped bring more than 60,000 acres into the program. 
• Connecting thousands of children and families with nature and the outdoors at our Montana Audubon Center in Billings. 
• Leading bird surveys and citizen science projects around the state that help provide important data on several species of concern, including, Great Blue Herons, Long-billed Curlew, Trumpeter Swans, Black Swifts, Chimney Swifts, and others.  

What is Birdathon?

Alina Garner Photo

Each year, the Montana Audubon team celebrates Birdathon by going out and counting as many bird species as possible over a 24-hour period. This year, Birdathon will start at 6pm on June 11 and go until 6pm June 12.  Giving to Birdathon is easy! You can choose to donate on a “per-bird species” basis (we’re shooting for 150!) or you can make a lump sum gift of any amount. However you choose to give, your support will directly benefit Montana’s native birds and their habitats.

You can donate by check or by making an online contribution. Mail checks to Montana Audubon
P.O. Box 595, Helena, MT 59624. To donate online, click here. To make a pledge per bird, email your pledge to [email protected].

This year, our team will be all across Montana from the Helena Valley,  to the Missouri Headwaters, to the banks of the Yellowstone, to the towering Bitterroot mountains, and more. We’re looking forward to seeing some of our favorite species as well as spotting the ones we missed last year. We’re aiming to hit 150 bird species, and we’re making special efforts for the birds below that we didn’t get last year but we think we can find this year: 

Bob Martinka Photo

• Common Goldeneye
• Gray Partridge
• Sharp-shinned Hawk
• Short-eared Owl
• Williamson’s Sapsucker
• Plumbeous Vireo
• Steller’s Jay
• Brown Creeper
• Golden-crowned Kinglet
• Townsend’s Solitaire
• Orange-crowned Warbler
• Townsend’s Warbler

Also, thanks to a very generous donor who has pledged $10,000, all Birdathon donations will be MATCHED dollar for dollar up to a grand total of $20,000. This means that your donation to Birdathon will have double the impact! Whether you give $25 or $250, every donation will support our conservation programs across Montana.