The annual BirdLife South Africa Birding Big Day is a fun, yet competitive day for South Africa’s bird-watchers, both beginners and competitive twitchers, while at the same time raising much needed funds for the organisation’s important bird conservation and bird species monitoring work. 

The following info is re-published from SA Birdlife

Birding Big Day 2012

The BirdLife South Africa Birding Big Day will take place on Saturday 24 November 2012. 

Anyone can take part, anywhere in South Africa!  Get a group of fellow birders together and visit your favourite birding spot; get the family together for a day out or just enjoy the birds in your garden. Let’s put the BIG into Birding Big Day.

All about Birding Big Day 2012

There are two of categories for Birding Big Day to suit everyone the needs of all bird-watchers, from beginners to serious twitchers.

The Traditional Birding Big Day Category

The Traditional Category, which consists of two sub-categories, is for more serious birders or those wish to go out birding for a 24 hour period.  However, Birding Big Day is also all about the fun of bird-watching and there are no hard and fast rules.  Should you wish to go bird-watching at your favourite birding spot with your family and friends for a few hours during the day, then this is also the category is for you.

The two sub-categories are Open and Family.

Teams can consist of a maximum of four members.

Only free-flying birds may be recorded (no caged birds).

The Garden Birder Category

For those who prefer to sit comfortably in your own home, cup of coffee in hand, watching birds then the Garden Bird Category is for you. Consider hosting a Backyard Birds Braai with family and friends and count the birds in your own backyard!

For more info and to register visit http://www.birdlife.org.za/events/birding-big-day