The Virginia Birding Classic is a statewide birding competition in which teams of birders search the public lands of Virginia every spring for as many species as they can find in 24 hours.
All registration proceeds will benefit the Virginia Wildlife Grant Program, which awards annual grants to non-profit programs focused on connecting youth to the outdoors.
Registration closes April 1, 2024. Don’t delay—register now!
How does it work?
Pick a team name and register online: Your team of a least three or up to six people register online through GoOutdoorsVirginia.com by April 1, 2024. Registration includes a swag bag and free access to available Wildlife Management Areas, State Forests, and Natural Area Preserves on the day your team has chosen to go birding for the competition. Virginia DWR customers with an active license and/or permit will receive a discount on their registration. Youth under 16 years old can register for free but must be accompanied by a registered adult.
Pick when your team goes birding: Your team chooses a consecutive 24-hour period between April 15 and May 15 to go birding on federal, state, county, and municipal parks in the Commonwealth to identify as many species of birds as possible.
Share your team’s results: Your team submits one official team eBird trip report for their tournament day to Virginia eBird. Final eBird trip reports must be submitted to the official Virginia Birding Classic eBird account by 11:59 p.m. on May 17, 2024.
The Virginia Birding Classic Grand Prize goes to the team that finishes their 24-hours of birding with the most species. This year, we are excited to announce that the Grand Prize will consist of the following:
Each member of the winning team will get to choose from a list of DWR Wildlife Experiences that only we can offer. The list may include opportunities such as:
accompanying our biologists as they band and survey raptors, waterfowl, woodpeckers, or seabirds; visiting important habitat conservation areas that are not open to the public; viewing wildlife on a tour with knowledgeable members of our staff; and other exciting experiences only DWR can offer.
Each team will also get the opportunity to choose a library in the Commonwealth to be the recipient of three Birding Backpacks that will be available for checkout by members of the community! Each backpack will include: a pair of adult binoculars, a pair of children’s binoculars, a field guide to birds of eastern North America, a kids field guide to backyard birds, bird coloring sheets and crayons, one field journal to record sightings, maps and guides to area birding locations, and helpful tips and apps to make the most of their birding adventures.
This is an excellent way to give back by giving the community the gift of birding.
Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources
