Young Birder Clubs
If you’re interested in starting your own club, check out our tips on how to start your own club at the end of this page. If you want to know what resources already exist around you, look no further than the lists below! If you know of a club that isn’t listed here, please let us know.
Young Birder Clubs in the United States
Arizona: Tucson YBC – for ages 12-18, sponsored by Tuscon Audubon.
California: California Young Birders Club
Connecticut: Connecticut YBC – for ages 19 and under, sponsored by Audubon Greenwich.
Delaware: Delaware Dunlins YBC – for ages 6-18, sponsored by Delmarva Ornithological Society.
Florida: Audubon Explorers – for ages 6-18, sponsored by Collier County Audubon.
Northeast Florida Young Birders Club – for ages 14-18, sponsored by the Duval Audubon Society and the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
Georgia: Georgia Young Birders – for ages 6-18, sponsored by Atlanta Audubon Society (AAS) and the Georgia Ornithological Society (GOS)
Illinois: Illinois YBC – for ages 9-18, sponsored by Illinois Ornithological Society.
Indiana: Indiana YBC – for all ages, sponsored by Indiana Audubon.
Iowa: Iowa Young Birders – for ages 8-18.
Louisiana: Kids Who Bird! – for ages 9-16, sponsored by Baton Rouge Audubon Society.
Maine: Maine Young Birders Club – for ages 11-18,
Maryland: Youth Division of the Maryland Ornithological Society – sponsored by the Maryland Ornithological Society
Massachusetts: Massachusetts Young Birders Club – for all ages
Michigan: Michigan Young Birders Club – for ages 12-18, sponsored by Michigan Audubon.
Oakland Audubon YBC – geared for ages 10-18, sponsored by Oakland Audubon Society.
Minnesota: Minnesota Young Birders Club for ages 13 – 18
New Hampshire: The Harriers: New Hampshire’s Young Birders Club – for ages 10-18, sponsored by Squam Lakes Natural Science Center.
New Jersey: New Jersey YBC – for ages 17 and younger, sponsored by New Jersey Audubon.
New Mexico: Burque Young Birders’ Club
New York: New York State YBC – for ages 10-19, sponsored by NY State Ornithological Association.
North Carolina: Carolina Young Birders Club
North Carolina Young Naturalists Club – for ages 12-18, sponsored by Wake Audubon.
Ohio: Ohio YBC – for ages 12-18, sponsored by Black Swamp Bird Observatory.
Oregon: Young Birders of Central Oregon- for ages 9-18, sponsored by East Cascades Audubon Society for more info please email: acegerard@bendbroadband.com
Pennsylvania: PA YBC – for ages 8-18, sponsored by Wildside Nature Tours.
South Carolina: Carolina Young Birders Club
Texas: Travis Audubon Young Birders Club – for ages 10-18, sponsored by Travis Audubon
San Antonio Young Birders Club – sponsored by San Antonio Parks and Recreation
Utah: Bear River Fledgling Bird Club – for ages 8-18, sponsored by Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and Wasatch and Bridgerland Audubon chapters.
Vermont: Feather Questers – for ages 12-19, sponsored by the North Branch Nature Center.
Virginia: Blue Ridge Young Birders Club – for ages 7-18
Washington: Seattle Audubon Society Young Birders – for ages 13-17.
West Virginia: West Virginia Young Birders Club – for ages 6-18, sponsored by Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia
Wisconsin: Wisconsin Young Birders Club – for grades 5-12.
Global Young Birder Clubs
New Zealand: New Zealand Fledglings – a national club for young birders of all ages
Switzerland: Bebbi Babbler, sponsored by the Ornithological Society of Basel.
Spain: Club de Jóvenes Pajareros de Burgos – a national association for students aged 8-18.
Uganda: Young Birders Club of Uganda – a national club for ages 7-18
How to Start a New Club
Most young birders clubs were started by one or two passionate people with a determination to make things happen. Sometimes these founders are adults involved with an organization, other times they are parents of young birders, and other times they are young birders themselves. Regardless of the initiator, time and energy can make a young birders club grow into a thriving community.
If your area doesn’t have a young birders club, it’s very feasible to start one. By enabling young birders to meet, learn, and bird together, these clubs encourage the next generation of naturalists to grow their interest in the natural world.
Many young adults cite young birders clubs, camps, and other networking groups as a turning point for them. Young birders often have trouble finding similarly-minded peers, so meeting such people can be a life-changing experience.
Below, you will find a link to the Young Birders Club Toolkit, a guiding resource for starting a club in your local area. This Toolkit is open to your input: if you have specific questions, advice, or materials that you think the Toolkit should include, please contact us!
Additionally, take note of the sample forms included below the Toolkit. These were provided by the NY State Young Birders Club (a project of the NY State Ornithological Association). Should you need membership or permission forms for your club, feel free to adapt these to your purposes.