Virginia Birding Classic
April 15, 2025 – May 15, 2025
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 nonprofit programs focused on connecting youth to the outdoors.
Teams of 3 to 6 people can register online to choose a consecutive 24-hour period between 4/15 and 5/15 to go birding on federal, state, county, and municipal parks in the state of Virginia to identify as many bird species as possible. Registered teams receive free access to available Wildlife Management Areas, State Forests, and Natural Area Preserves for the day chosen to compete. Teams submit one official eBird trip report for their tournament day to Virginia eBird by 11:59 pm on May 17.
Each member of the winning team will have the choice of one of the following:
- 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
- other exciting experiences only DWR can offer
The winning team will choose a Virginia library to be the recipient of 3 Birding Backpacks that can be checked out at the library for its community members. Each backpack includes the following items:
- 1 pair of adult binoculars
- 1 pair of children’s binoculars
- 1 field guide to birds of eastern North America
- 1 kids field guide to backyard birds
- Bird coloring sheets and crayons
- 1 Field Journal to record sightings
- Maps and guides to area birding locations
- Helpful tips and apps to make the most of their birding adventures
Visit our website for more information.