Back by popular demand, the Bicknell’s Thrush Race to the Atlantic will commence mid-September, 2026, once all 17 tracking tags have been deployed on 17 new Bicknell’s Thrushes!
Want to get in on the action early? Starting at the Bit O’ Balsam beer launch on August 19th at the Lawson’s Taproom, we’re letting BITH superfans donate $500—the cost of deploying one tag—and name a bird for the race. If your named bird wins the race, you’ll also receive a branded insulated Yeti mug, a custom baseball cap, t-shirt, and sticker.
It’s that time of year. Our researchers are eagerly watching to see when migratory birds like Bicknell’s Thrush (birder shorthand: BITH) will start their perilous journey south to Latin America. But we figured… why hoard all the fun for ourselves? For the second year, we’re inviting you to join us! (And support VCE’s Bicknell’s Thrush research while you’re at it.)
Which BITH will leave the U.S. East Coast first?
This September, our scientists will tag 17 Bicknell’s Thrushes near the top of Mount Mansfield, Vermont’s highest mountain. As these birds, fitted with tiny receiver backpacks, leave the mountain, they ping Motus towers from New England to the Mid-Atlantic region and the Coastal Carolinas, where they’ll spend two weeks resting and fattening up. Then, one-by-one, under the cover of night, they’ll leave the safety of dry land to make a break for Hispaniola, more than 1,400 miles over the ocean.
They’ll ping one last Motus tower when they leave. And that ping is what we’re looking for.
Entries open mid-September.
Step 1: Pick your favorite bird.
This is no fantasy team—they’re real-life, threatened (but determined!) birds with color bands, little backpacks with Motus tags, and unique numbers. We’ve provided some basic stats plus some personality quirks to help you make your selection. See the bird lineup.
Step 2: Put some money behind it.
Half of the Bicknell’s Thrush population has been lost in the past 15 years. Your contribution helps us fund crucial research into the threats it faces, and help us craft effective conservation action for it and other bird species.
Step 3: Follow along.
As the tagged BITHs take flight, they’ll ping a series of Motus towers down the East Coast to the Mid-Atlantic and Coastal Carolinas. The data will be updated (with some lag) on our BITH Race map. The first tagged Bicknell’s Thrush from Mount Mansfield to ping a coastal tower at night, indicating it has headed out over the ocean, wins the race. We will announce the winning bird when all the data from Motus towers have been processed by our researchers.
Step 4: Collect your prize.
Anyone who has picked the winning bird gets custom merchandise from VCE featuring a Bicknell’s Thrush illustration, the winning bird’s number, the coastal Motus tower it pinged, and the date it pinged it. The merch you might receive (if you picked correctly!) depends on your level of giving. Check out the merch.
