Migration Magic Raises Nearly $30,000 for Bird Conservation
More than 1,200 people joined the month-long celebration
FAIRFIELD, CT — More than 1,200 people joined the Connecticut Audubon Society’s Migration Magic festival in May, raising about $30,000 for bird conservation while celebrating one of nature’s greatest spectacles.
The month-long festival featured 50 programs statewide, including guided bird walks, boat cruises, educational programs, and friendly birding and photo competitions that welcomed participants of all ages and experience levels.
“Migration Magic is about more than birds,” Executive Director Joyce Leiz said. “It’s about helping people connect with nature, experience the fleeting phenomenon of spring migration, and become part of a community that cares deeply about conservation.”
One of the festival’s signature events was the Birdathon, a month-long challenge to see or hear as many bird species as possible.
With a record-breaking 213 species, the highest total in the event’s history, Shori Velles, of North Franklin, beat out more than 80 participants to win the Birdathon.
Kelly Siranko, of Danbury, led all participants in fundraising, generating more than $3,300 to support Connecticut Audubon’s conservation, education, and advocacy work. Siranko has raised the most money each year since 2023, totaling more than $13,000.
Children and teens also made an impressive showing. August Kaesar, 7, won the Young Birder category by identifying 94 species. Runner-up Oliver Vignola, 15, recorded 83 species.
For the sixth year in a row, siblings Pavana Attonito, 15, and Kalel Attonito, 13, joined the Birdathon, tallying 82 species in total. Their family raised $380.
This year, the photo contest drew 36 people, including Michelle Babyak, who won the adult category after submitting a striking image of a perfectly camouflaged Barred Owl.
Oliver Vignola took home the top prize in the Young Birder category with an action shot of a juvenile Cooper’s Hawk.
Migration Magic also featured The Big Day, an annual 24-hour birding marathon that pushes the best birders among Connecticut Audubon’s staff to find as many species as possible in a day.
On May 18, this year’s team — Joe Attwater, Matt Bell, Stefan Martin, and Deb Eccleston — traveled more than 500 miles across Connecticut and recorded 163 species, surpassing last year’s total of 151. They raised almost $5,500 while traversing mixed woodlands and inland wetlands to salt marshes and coastal sand dunes.
Along the way, the team encountered 21 species of warblers, a highlight of Connecticut’s spring migration season, as well as several state-endangered species, including a Common Gallinule, a Red Knot, and an American Bittern.
“That’s special,” said Eccleston, Connecticut Audubon’s membership manager. “We want to find as many birds as possible, but we’re also seeing these sensitive species and recognizing that there aren’t many places left for some of them to breed anymore in Connecticut.”
Migration Magic was made possible in part by support from our sponsors: WSHU Public Radio, Oliver Nurseries, and O & G Industries.
Funds raised through Migration Magic will support the Connecticut Audubon Society’s efforts to protect birds, other wildlife, and their habitats.
“We are grateful to everyone who participated, donated, and helped make this year’s festival such a success,” Leiz said.
Founded in 1898, the Connecticut Audubon Society protects Connecticut’s birds, other wildlife, and their habitats through conservation, education, and advocacy. With eight centers and 16 sanctuaries, the organization preserves and manages over 3,400 acres of habitat statewide and educates more than 100,000 children and adults annually.
