Take Part this Spring! Any time March 1-May 31, 2018
Be part of a continental effort to support raptor conservation, monitoring programs and your local watch site.
The “Sparrow Hawkers” team in South Carolina
The purpose of Raptorthon is simple, to have fun birding while raising funds for raptor monitoring throughout the Americas. Like a Birdathon effort, Raptorthon is a sponsored Bird Count, but is focused on raptors and is aimed at getting the maximum count of raptor species (and optionally, all other bird species as well) in a 24-hour period.
We are very grateful for all who have participated in or donated to Raptorthon over the past eight years. Together, we have raised over $43,000 for watch sites and HMANA programs, as well as enjoyed many fun days of birding! Thank you for your support!
Participation is easy
Simply choose one day to count, register with HMANA, find sponsors to pledge support for your Raptorthon, go out and find as many species as possible, collect your pledges and report your results. HMANA will allocate your proceeds according to your wishes and publish all results in the Hawk Migration Studies journal.
Support your local watch site
All money raised will support raptor monitoring, but you decide how it’s distributed.
It’s your choice to….
Making a huge difference for the Hawk Watch Fund
Now 25% of whatever is raised for HMANA during Raptorthon is allocated to our Hawk Watch Fund. This directs even more funds to our annual grant program supporting education and research efforts at watch sites throughout North and Central America. Thanks to Raptorthon, we can offer over $2,000 in Hawk Watch Fund grants in 2018.
Any way you choose to support Raptorthon, whether you are sponsoring a team or participating in your own event, you are directly strengthening the raptor monitoring community!
Do your Raptorthon by car!
What is a Raptorthon? Like Birdathon, Raptorthon is a sponsored Bird Count, but is focused on Raptors. It’s a fun event organized by The Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA) in which you ask sponsors for a pledge to sponsor you for a day searching for as many raptors species (and optionally other species) as possible.
What happens to the money I raise during the Raptorthon? All money raised will support raptor monitoring but you decide how it’s distributed. You have the choice to donate 50% of the money you raise to a hawkwatch organization and 50% to HMANA to support its HawkCount database, Raptor Population Index project, and raptor conservation efforts. Or you can choose to donate 25% to another conservation organization of your choice and 75% to HMANA, or you can donate 100% to HMANA. HMANA’s proceeds above the standard 50% will be allocated to our new HawkWatchFund to support hawk watching throughout North and Central America.
Do I need to be an experienced hawkwatcher to take part in HMANA’s Raptorthon? What if I don’t know my raptor species that well? You don’t need to be an experienced hawkwatcher. The purpose of the Raptorthon is to get out and have fun for the day searching for raptors and other birds and raise money for raptors. To benefit from others’ experience, form your own team or contact your local hawkwatching site for information about joining a team. Or go it alone and do your best.
Do I have to count only hawks during my Raptorthon? No, this is totally up to you! You decide. You may choose to count the number of raptor species you see or hear in one day (including owls and shrikes) or you may choose to count all bird species you see in one day.
Do I have to count raptors for a full day? What are the dates of the event? This year’s spring Raptorthon is for a 24 hour period. You decide which day between March 1-May 31 that you would like to do your Raptorthon. Look for raptors and other birds for any number of hours up to 24! You decide the time and date for your Raptorthon. Just remember to fill in the date on your registration form.
Do I have to do the Raptorthon at a known hawkwatch site? No! You can be anywhere at all when you do your Raptorthon. Count from your backyard or tour the local hawkwatches and birding hotspots.
How do I register to take part in the Raptorthon? You can register online (click the Register button above) or use the printable registration form in the Raptorthon Forms section. Fill this form out and email or mail to Julie Brown, 151 Antrim Rd, Hancock, NH 03449.
What other forms do I need? In addition to the Registration Form, you’ll need the Pledge Coupon to solicit pledges. You will send this form to your potential sponsors for their pledges. How to Find Sponsors contains helpful tips in reaching out to sponsors. Next you will need the Sponsor List to track donations from your sponsors which will later be mailed to HMANA with checks. All forms are available in the next tab.
Below are links for the various forms needed for conducting your Raptorthon: