26th Annual Birding Classic

The biggest, longest, wildest birdwatching tournament in the U.S.!

2022 official artwork by Stephanie Galla (Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks)

Registration deadline: April 1, 2022
Tournament dates: April 15-May 15
Conservation Grant proposal deadline: May 1

What is the Birding Classic? Who can join the fun?

• All levels and ages of birders are welcome to join this Texas birdwatching event during the amazing spring migration.
• There's a tournament category for everyone - from the beginning backyard birder to the competitive lister!
• Registration fees raise money for Texas bird and birding conservation project grants.
• Gather your team, register, and go birding - it's truly that simple.

The 2021 event was made possible by donations from event sponsors Texas Ornithological Society, Toyota and Swarovski Optik, Awards Ceremony sponsor Audubon Texas, and team registration fees and corporate and community team sponsorship. Learn more if your organization is interested in sponsoring the 2022 event. Habitat conservation grants awarded are funded through event sponsorship and registration fees. The birds are counting on you!

How to Participate gives you a step-by-step guide to help you register and plan your tournament day.

The health and safety of our Birding Classic participants, staff, and the birding community are paramount, so we made some rule modifications and tweaked tournament categories to better suit the ever-evolving pandemic guidelines for the state of Texas. Review all 2022 tournament rules here. The tournament categories in 2022 were also changed slightly, so go over the details for each tournament category to learn more about how each category works (length of time in the field, number of team members, dispersed vs. intact flock team rules, etc.).

Visit Tournament Advice and Sponsorship Tips for tips on mentoring youth teams, advice from former winners on how to run a successful Big Day tournament, and even advice on finding team sponsors to save you some money in registration fees.

Sign Up for Email Updates

Stay informed on Birding Classic registration deadlines, conservation grant proposal due dates, tips leading up to the big event, and more.

Have questions? Visit the contact section to talk directly to Birding Classic staff.