PA Big Day Of Birding
What is the PA Big Day of Birding?
Pennsylvania Master Naturalist is hosting the PA Big Day of Birding as a chance for teams of outdoor enthusiasts to spend a day exploring the natural beauty of Pennsylvania while identifying as many bird species as possible. The goal is for all team members to identify each species and hopefully improve their own birding skills while capturing data on the diversity of birds in our state. The PA Big Day is also a great opportunity to support PA Master Naturalist and their work to connect people with their local ecosystems through natural science training and local conservation volunteer service.
How do I participate?
We encourage you to form or join a team to go birding on Saturday, April 25, 2026. Teams can count species identified any time between 12:00am and 11:59pm on April 25 within the state of Pennsylvania. All results must be recorded in eBird and shared with PAMasterNaturalist (program@pamasternaturalist.org) by 5:00pm on Sunday, April 26 in order to be part of the final tally.
The Team Leader should register their team HERE in order to receive communication about the event. Each registered participant will receive this PA Big Day sticker along with updates on the event and a link to the virtual Recap Celebration on Monday, May 11 at 6:00pm where we will announce the results, celebrate exciting observations and share stories.
Is this a fundraiser?
While our primary goal for the event is to get people outside looking for birds, we are also encouraging, but not requiring, each participant to make a $25 donation to PA Master Naturalist. By supporting the PA Big Day of Birding, you help PMN provide more individuals across the state
with high quality instruction about their local ecosystem which they can use to protect and conserve our natural heritage. The funds raised from the PA Big Day of Birding help us provide scholarships to individuals who want to participate in the program as well as organizational support for our active naturalists. You can donate at https://pamasternaturalist.org/donate/
How do I form a team for the PA Big Day?
Teams can be made up of experienced birders, novices, children, and anyone else you can convince to get outside to look for birds. All you need is one person with an eBird account to track your sightings and share them with us. You can even have a team of 1 person if you prefer to bird on your own. You do not need to be a PA Master Naturalist in order to participate.
I’m ready to sign up! What’s next?
Register here. Fill out the short form to start receiving updates and announcements about the event and a link to the Virtual Recap Celebration on Monday, May 11 at 6:00pm. Then start studying up on the birds in your community to make a plan for your best PA Big Day!
More Information:
Rules and Guidelines
Flyer
