The Great Texas Birding Classic
TLC’s 2026 Birdathon
Three teams.
Three regions.
Three days of birding.
Three thousand+ acres of TLC permanently protected properties.
Scroll down to make your $ per species pledge to help protect the habitats that birds rely on across the state!
What is the Great Texas Birding Classic?
It’s the biggest, longest, wildest birdwatching tournament in the U.S., organized by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Each year, birders flock to Texas for a friendly competition. This milestone year (30th anniversary!) brings together more than 1,450 participants across 251 teams, all trying to spot as many species as possible.
What is the TLC Birdathon?
Think walk-a-thon… but with binoculars.
Instead of counting steps, we’re counting species. TLC staff are heading into the field for a friendly-but-determined competition to see how many bird species we can find in a day, WITH A TWIST! We will only be birding on TLC protected properties to showcase their conservation significance.
Our teams will be scoping, spotting, and listing at select TLC properties in North Texas, East Texas, and the Hill Country.
How You Can Participate:
Join the fun by pledging an amount per species your favorite team spots.
Example: Pledge $1 per species. If your team finds 50 species, that’s a $50 donation.
Not into math? No problem—you can make a flat donation instead.
Why It Matters
Every species we spot—and every dollar you pledge—helps protect the habitats these species depend on across Texas.
Meet the teams
Tastes Like Chachalaca
Hill Country Team
Birding date: Wednesday, April 29
Sunrise to noon
Team Members:
Stephen Ramirez
TLC Conservation Director
Alec King
TLC Acquisitions Manager
Nick Fisher
TLC Hill Country Program Manager
Location: La Paloma Ranch and Querencia, permanently protected with TLC
Bonus Bird: Golden-cheeked Warbler
Target # of Species: 50
Tres Locas Chickadees
East Texas Team
Birding date: Tuesday, May 5
Sunrise to noon
Team Members:
Jamie Hooker
TLC East Texas Program Director
Maggie O’Neil
TLC Stewardship Program Manager
Tamara Wood
CEP Principal and Ecologist
Location: Frentress-Johnson West Bay MB, permanently protected with TLC
Bonus Bird: Black Rail
Target # of Species: 50
Texas Loggerhead Coalition
North Texas Team
Birding date: Wednesday, May 13
Sunrise to noon
Team Members:
Jack Cearley
TLC North Texas Program Director
Daniela Parker
TLC Community Engagement Coordinator
Taylor Kirkland
TLC Volunteer
Location: Little L Ranch, permanently protected with TLC
Bonus Bird: Northern Bobwhite
Target # of Species: 50