Support ACA's First Birdathon

In August 2011, the Amazon Conservation Association (ACA) hosted its first-ever Birdathon in celebration of the immense diversity of bird species living in the southeastern Peruvian Amazon.

The final bird count from the birders is shown above - 348!

What in the world is a Birdathon?

ACA's Birdathon was an event in which a group of conservationist birders traveled a route from the highlands to the lowlands alongside Manu National Park while counting the number of bird species they saw. Their goal was to support conservation of southeast Peru’s globally important forests and the birds dependent on them by seeking sponsors to pledge an amount per bird seen or make a donation to the event. All funds raised go to ACA to further ongoing conservation efforts.

Who does this?

Life-long conservationist and avid birder Craig Thompson led the Birdathon, traveling from La Crosse, Wisconsin to the Amazon rainforests of Peru along with 12 other participants. The coordinator of the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative's International Committee, he has been organizing and leading birding trips to the neotropics for the past 20 years. Like the birds they study, Thompson and participants migrated down to bird wintering grounds in Peru. The connection between the neotropics and Wisconsin is a strong one; over half of Wisconsin’s 238 species of breeding birds winter within the tropical latitudes.

Where in the world?

The intrepid birders stopped at ACA’s Wayqecha Cloud Forest Biological Station and Hacienda Villa Carmen, ACA’s new conservation property, which was purchased with the help of the American Bird Conservancy to be protected as a refuge for a countless rare and endangered birds. This area, where the eastern slopes of the Andes meet the Amazonian lowlands, boasts an exceptional array of habitats sustaining a vast number of bird species. Along the way the group may see species such as the Giant Hummingbird (“the Schwarzenegger of hummingbirds”), the Cock-of-the Rock, Gray-breasted Mountain Toucan, or the Undulated Tinamou.

What can I do to help?

The Wisconsin birders have set a $20,000 goal for the Birdathon. They’re more than halfway there. You can help them meet their goal by making a tax-deductible donation:

Donate now through Network for Good Make a secure, online donation to support the Birdathon now through Network for Good » Note: on the second page of the form, you will see the option to choose a designation. Please write in "Birdathon" here! Your donation is fully tax-deductible.

All funds raised go to ACA to support bird conservation in buffer zone of Manu National Park.

Why is it so important?

Conserving such an important biodiversity hotspot as the southeastern Peruvian Andes-Amazon region is critical to safeguarding bird diversity. By conserving these areas we provide a space for North American and Neotropical birds to thrive while simultaneously supporting the livelihoods of local peoples that rely on the ecosystem services these forests provide.

See a sampling of the birds they might have seen at Wayqecha on YouTube!

Birdathon rules

These are the rules the birders will follow when coming up with the total trip bird count:

Counting will take place beginning with touchdown in Cusco, Peru on August 12, 2011 and continue through the Cusco departure, August 22, 2011.
Each bird species must be conclusively identified by sight or sound by at least one participant and one other person (can be trip participant plus guide)
Each species may be counted only once
Birds counted must be alive, wild, and unrestrained
Flushing birds from nest for identification purposes is prohibited
Our primary interest is the welfare of the birds!

TOP

Craig Thompson, intrepid leader of ACA's Inaugural Birdathon. Photo: Mary Thompson

Amethyst-throated Sunangel (Heliangelus amethysticollis) at ACA's Wayqecha Biological Station. Photo: Trond Larsen

Andean Cock-of-the-rock (Rupicola peruvianus) along the Manu road. Photo: Trond Larsen

Golden-collared Tanager (Iridosornis jelskii) at Wayqecha. Photo: Francisco Llacma

Masked Flowerpiercer (Diglossa cyanea) at Wayqecha. Photo: Trond Larsen