The 2025 competition held by the state Department of Natural Resources and partners is set for April 4-12, with an awards ceremony and banquet the last evening at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center near Mansfield. Teams of kindergarteners through high-schoolers will pick a 24-hour stretch during the nine-day span and compete by age group to find the most birds statewide before 5 p.m. April 12.

Entering its 19th year, the event has changed slightly, said founder and DNR wildlife biologist Tim Keyes. But the focus is the same: “Introducing kids to the thrill of the natural world, where they hone their skills by planning a route and finding, identifying and tallying birds in a fun competition with others their age.”

Keyes added that the banquet is a great way to meet other young birders and make connections that can last a lifetime. “Seeing the exhausted but excited teams arrive, sharing highlights, best birds and adventures, is always one of the highlights of the year. Stepping back, it is also incredibly rewarding to see many ‘graduates’ of the YBC continuing into wildlife careers.”

Since 2023, the competition has included a week-plus window for teams to bird and an option to submit checklists early via email, allowing judges to review them before teams check-in at Charlie Elliott conference center, about an hour east of Atlanta.

The 2024 competition drew 32 teams and some 100 youth. That interest in birds is reflected nationwide, with four-in-10 Americans taking part in birdwatching in 2022. Keyes is hoping that even more organizations, from Scouts and schools to nature centers and birding groups, enter or sponsor a Youth Birding Competition team in 2025.

Teams can register at https://georgiawildlife.com/ybc. The deadline to enter is March 15.

The event is free and birding expertise is not required. There is also a companion T-shirt Art Contest (https://georgiawildlife.com/YBCTshirtArtContest). The deadline to submit art contest entries is Jan. 31.

Youth Birding Competition sponsors include The Environmental Resources Network or TERN – friends group of DNR’s Wildlife Conservation Section – the Georgia Ornithological Society and Birds Georgia.

COMPETITION/AT A GLANCE

• What: Fun, free event engaging youth in the outdoors and learning about birds. Participants will receive a T-shirt and (most likely) prizes!
• When: Bird during a 24-hour period from 5 p.m. April 4 to 5 p.m. April 12. Banquet and awards ceremony is 5:30 p.m. April 12 at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center (Mansfield).
• Where: Bird anywhere in Georgia but check-in at the Charlie Elliott conference center by 5 p.m. April 12.
• Registration: Sign up at https://georgiawildlife.com/ybc by March 15. Website includes event instructions and helpful birding resources for teams and leaders.

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