DONATE TO #COTF23 AND HELP SAVE RED-BREASTED GEESE HERE
CHAMPIONS 2023 IS GO! We are very excited to announce that our latest campaign is dedicated to the conservation of the vulnerable and rapidly decreasing Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis.
Our latest Champions campaign – culminating in the famous 24-hour Bird Race in Eilat, Israel, on March 27th next spring – is in collaboration with our friends at the Association for the Conservation of Biovidersity of Kazakhstan (ACBK) and Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB), BirdLife International’s partners along these critical flyway, stopover and wintering sites for one of the world’s most threatened goose species.
DO YOU FANCY TAKING PART OF THE WORLD’S FRIENDLIEST AND MOST EXCITING BIRD RACE? WE ARE NOW SEEKING TEAMS FOR THE RACE AND CAMPAIGN! CONTACT JONATHAN AT jm2bird@gmail.com NOW!

Join our journey on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

Champions of the Flyway is now a well known fund- and awareness-raising event in global birding and conservation circles. Since our humble beginnings back in 2014, we’ve raised over $500,000 for projects tackling the illegal killing of birds migrating along the flyways. Over these past seven years we’ve shone the spotlight on the many challenging issues birds face, helping nine different Birdlife International partners in their ongoing struggle against the slaughter of migrants on the ground.
The Champions Of The Flyway family is coming together again, and from now until the end of March, it’s all about raising funds and awareness to help save Red-breasted Geese! Watch this space for details of the wonderful projects and outputs our partners have lined up for when they recieve the COTF23 campaign funds …..
DONATE TO #COTF23 AND HELP SAVE RED-BREASTED GEESE HERE

COTF ’23 is generously supported by ZEISS BIRDING
2023 – PROJECT OBJECTIVES
Our partners at ACBK and BSPB will use 100% of our funds to combat the illegal killing of Red-breasted Geese in the following ways:
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Satellite tagging geese to guide conservation efforts and inform on threats – already proved to be an effective tool to uncover illegal killing and persecution, tagging will lead the teams on the ground to the birds, instructing where fieldwork and monitoring should focus.
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Assembling and deploying monitoring teams (in partnership with local law enforcement) – checking active hunting parties and their acquired quarry for any illegally-killed species (Red-breasted Goose and Lesser White-fronted Goose).
- Ensuring the prosecution of illegal hunters by gathering and presenting evidence and following through with strict legal processes, in partnership with local law enforcement
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Educating and engaging hunters by direct communication, outreach and interpretive materials (including installing information banners throughout all key sites, with site-specific information about each)
Want to find out more detail? Read the full aims and objectives *here*
A bird race with a difference:
- We celebrate the miracle of migration and the joy of sharing outstanding birding experiences
- We operate on a global scale. Birders from every corner of the world participate – whether bird-racing, fund-raising, spreading the word following events live online.
- Teams generate funding that results in direct conservation action for birds on the Mediterranean flyway and beyond
As race teams post their adventures in real time, anyone, anywhere in the world can follow the race live on Twitter, Facebook or on this website, participating virtually and cheering their favourite team on to victory…
HOW IS CHAMPIONS 2023 DIFFERENT?
The race element is open to everyone, wherever you are in the world
Our Eilat Race will use carbon-offset schemes
There are new awards for our participants – watch this space!