Join the fun this Birding Big Day

Wailing Cisticola - photographed by Adam Cruickshank

This article originally originally featured in our Daily Birder email. To make sure you never miss a Daily Birder article, subscribe to our mailing list here.

This Saturday is one of my favourite birding days of the year. I will wake up earlier than any human should, head out with some amazing people, and take part in a day of birding that our team has planned better than an F1 team in a title race (well hopefully planned as well as Red Bull, not McLaren).

On Saturday is BirdLife South Africa’s Birding Big Day, and if you have never taken part, no matter what your level of birding, I want to encourage you to join in. Don’t let the high numbers from the top teams scare you off. No matter how new you are to birding, Birding Big Day is an epic day to be part of.

Birding Big Day gives BirdLife South Africa a yearly snapshot of the country’s birds. Because it happens at the same time every year, the data can be compared and used to help conserve our birds.

But how does this help you as a birder?

Well, not only does it give BirdLife South Africa a snapshot of the birdlife, it also gives those who take part a snapshot of their own birding. You might be “competing” against other teams, but you are mostly competing against yourself - seeing how your birding has improved over the last year.

For my first Birding Big Day, I didn’t know much about route preparation or starting early. I just signed up, took part, and had a blast. I did the day with three good friends and ended with just over 80 species. I was far from the top teams, but I had fun and created memories. The others aren’t even big birders now, but we still talk about that day.

Over the years I’ve had the chance to speak to some of the country’s best birders about Birding Big Day on the podcast. I’ve learnt how to plan a route for the team, put together target lists, and enjoy the day with awesome people. The highest number we’ve recorded in a day is just under 230 species - a massive jump from 80!

I’m far from being one of the top teams in the country, and probably never will be, but I am proud of how my birding has improved. Yes, you can look at the numbers, but those numbers came because my skills improved in many small ways.

I can almost guarantee that if you take part in Birding Big Day every year, you will start to see your own birding improve. If you only look at other people’s milestones, you’ll get discouraged. Someone will always have more money, more time, or more skill. Birding Big Day allows you to focus on the one thing that matters – your own birding.

Even if your numbers aren’t huge on the day, enjoy deepening relationships with the people you spend it with and have as much fun as possible. Enjoy the sunrise, eat good food, see great birds, and make memories that will last a lifetime.

If you haven’t signed up yet, it’s not too late. Get signed up, and you’ll soon see why Birding Big Day becomes one of your favourite birding days of the year!

Sign up on the BirdLife South Africa Website https://www.birdlife.org.za/support-us/events/birding-big-day-2025/

Looking to participate in Birding Big Day? This podcast episode is a good place to start. This great article is also packed with loads of free resources, including a Birding Big Day packing list.