The 2025 Migration Magic Big Day Challenge

June 25, 2025 — We are happy to announce that the 2025 Migration Magic bird celebration was an amazing success!

Approximately 1,150 of you helped the cause of bird conservation in Connecticut by participating — birding, donating, and attending walks and programs throughout the state. You contributed $42,388 for bird conservation in Connecticut. That’s 33% more than last year!

Whichever way you decided to participate, thank you sincerely, and we hope it was fun! Full details, including information about prizes, are at these link

Birdathon Winners and Complete Results

Photo Contest Winners and a Gallery of Great Shots

The 2024 Big Day team of (L to R) Stefan Martin, Joe Attwater, Matt Bell, & Deb Eccleston saw 160 species and raised $7,500! This year they will be joined by Lori Lichtenauer.

They’re doing it again! Last year’s Big Day challenge was such a success, that Deb Eccleston, Matt Bell, Stefan Martin and Joe Attwater want to see if they can out-do themselves this year. And they have a new team member—Deer Pond Farm’s Lori Lichtenauer—to improve their chances.
 
They’re banding together for a Migration Magic “Big Day” on Monday, May 19. Their goal is to spend all day birding together and try to beat last year’s total of 160 species on the way to a goal of 170.

Migration Magic is a month-long fundraiser for Connecticut’s birds. The Big Day was one of the most important components in 2024. It raised $7,500 of the $31,000 that Connecticut bird lovers donated during the month, all of which went to help protect the state’s birds.
 
Their challenge in 2025 is the same. So let’s all support them by making a per-bird pledge!
 
Funds raised by the Big Day will be used to manage Connecticut Audubon’s sanctuaries, to improve bird and wildlife habitats throughout the state, and to support advocacy work to improve the state’s bird protection laws.

Membership Director Deb Eccleston, Conservation Manager Stefan Martin, EcoTravel Specialist Matt Bell, and Conservation and Education Coordinator Joe Attwater will be out there again.

This year, Lori Lichtenauer, sanctuary manager/naturalist at Deer Pond Farm, has signed on to join them.

They will start well before dawn and end after sundown.

Lori Lichtenauer, sanctuary manager/naturalist at Deer Pond Farm, will be part of the 2025 Big Day crew.

Their route will highlight the variety and diversity of the state’s birds and its habitats, to emphasize why those kinds of habitats need protection and restoration.

You will be able to follow their progress through the Instagram stories they’ll post along the way – @ctaudubon. Keep up with their checklists on the eBird Migration Magic Big Day 2025  trip. 
 
If you haven’t yet made a Migration Magic contribution, the Birdathon Big Day is an exciting place to start. 

Thank you to the sponsors of Migration Magic 2025!