The start of registration for Georgia’s Youth Birding Competition points to the soon-coming fun and excitement of this popular birdathon, now in its 20th year.

Held by the state Department of Natural Resources and partners during the peak of spring bird migration, the 2026 Youth Birding Competition is set for April 10-18, with an awards ceremony and banquet held 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 by 5 p.m. on April 18.

As it has the past three years, the 2026 Youth Birding Competition includes 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.

The 2025 competition drew 37 teams and some 130 youth, including first-year teams in each of the four age divisions. The strong interest in birds is reflected nationwide, with four-in-10 Americans taking part in birdwatching in 2022. Keyes is encouraging families and organizations, from Scouts and schools to nature centers and birding groups, to enter or sponsor a Youth Birding Competition team this year.

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

The event is free and no birding expertise is required. There is also a companion T-shirt Art Contest (https://georgiawildlife.com/YBCTshirtArtContest). However, the deadline for art entries was Jan. 31.