Quick, how many parrots do you see? If you said “Five” you are perfect for the great Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count! Literally, volunteers are assigned a 15mile wide diameter in their area to count different species of birds between December 14, 2023 to January 5, 2024. Three weeks to record species and numbers, but it’s nothing new. This citizen-science project began in 1900 making this the 124th annual bird count and in order to participate you need to sign up before it all begins. You can do that right here! Of course, it’s free!
The Audubon Society divides the whole country into rings so the task of bird counting isn’t as daunting as it might seem. This is a look at the ‘rings’ in our area:
The whole interactive map is here and you’ll see that it includes Canada, Central and South America. Counts for each area are organized by the ring master, or “circle compiler.” This leader will set the day for your area when people head out to designated routes to count every species and number of birds that they “see and hear” during the day. If you live within the range of a count site, you can also add up the birds you see in your yard or feeder.
This event has grown faster than pigeons in the park! In 1900, 27 participants counted 89 bird species. The count from December 14, 2020 to January 5, 2021 occurred at 2,459 locations, with 72,815 volunteers in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean and Pacific Islands. Volunteers observed a total of 2,355 bird species.
And the results are fascinating. I blogged about this from last year:
RELATED: Climate change: It’s not for the birds
Scientists and birders study just where the bird migrations are occurring--more south, more north--and how bird populations are changing or diminishing and how climate change is affecting the birds. It’s not just about counting birds, it really does make a difference in understanding them and how they are being affected by our world. So sign up today and get ready to become a true bird counter!
Thanks to EarthSky for the heads up on this event!
Frank
Email me with questions and ideas.