Hernando Big Day/Birdathon

Saturday February 14, 2026

Can we identify 125 bird species in Hernando County on Saturday, February 14? It's up to you!

EVERYONE can participate in the Big Day/Birdathon! A birdathon is a fundraising event like a telethon or a walkathon, but with a focus on birds. 

There will be two levels of competition: backyard observations and team formation. The backyard component will involve individuals counting bird species in their yard and reporting the species observed. The team component will involve formation of teams consisting of 3 or 4 birders trying  to find the greatest number of bird species that they can. We are encouraging each team to include a beginning birder. 

The time period for the Birdathon is from midnight to midnight on February 14. All birding must be done within Hernando County. Winners will be determined for both the individual seeing the most birds in a backyard and the team that sees the most species in the county. The winners will be recognized in the next issue of our newsletter, eNews.  

This is our single biggest fundraiser of the year, and we are hoping to establish a new record. We encourage each individual or team to find sponsors willing to pledge based on the number of species that person or team observed. Please consider being a participant in this important Hernando Audubon event and making a donation.

Please click here to download the pledge form. We assure you that 100 percent of your donation will be used to help Hernando Audubon provide conservation and wildlife education programs and work to protect wildlife habitat. Please fill out the form and make your check payable to Hernando Audubon Society. If your employer will match your donation, please include a matching gift form. Your contact information will only be used to acknowledge your tax-deductible donation. This information will not be shared with any other organization or individual. It will also not be added to the Hernando Audubon mailing list.

At the end of the day, please enter your species in eBird and generate a trip report. If you don’t use eBird, a list of species can be written down. Email the list to Tom: tomstclair8@gmail.com or 904-303-0919.