www.christmasbirdcount.org audubon’s christmas bird count tallying the birds of the americas for...

www.christmasbirdcount.org

Audubon’s Christmas Bird CountAudubon’s Christmas Bird Count

Tallying the birds of the Americas

for over a century


Feather hats were the Feather hats were the ragerage


Frank Chapman, bird curator at the American Museum of Natural History, and an officer of the National Audubon Society


The Christmas The Christmas Bird Bird Count ...built on Count ...built on traditiontradition

Armand Bayou, Texas © Gary Seloff

Concord, Massachusetts © Hilary Wood

Loma Alta, Ecuador © Dusti Becker

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How is the How is the Christmas Bird Christmas Bird Count run?Count run?

Where: 15-mile diameter circleWhat: All birds species and individuals seen or heard are counted. Also recorded are weather details, number of counters, the hours and miles spent countingWhen: One 24-hour period from December 14 - January 5 How: Observers count on foot, by car, by boat, by snowmobile, watching feeders, and owling.

All data are reported to compilers who consolidate data and enter into database. Regional editors review and confirm all data.


Each Each circle is circle is divided divided into into sectorssectors


Over 60,000 participants

20 countries

2242 circles

Over 64,900,000 birds reported

2,400 species

As of 2012 the Christmas Bird As of 2012 the Christmas Bird Count….Count….

Western Gull © Larry Seligman


The Citizen The Citizen ScientistsScientists

Concord, Massachusetts CBC © Hilary Wood

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Christmas Bird Count PartnersChristmas Bird Count Partners


First among citizen science projects - First among citizen science projects - the Christmas Bird Countthe Christmas Bird Count

Prothonotary Warbler © Dominic Sherony

Monarch Butterflies during migration U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Iris Versicolor© Evelyn Simak, CC-SA-2

Other citizen science projects include:

•eBird•The Great Backyard Bird Count•BioBlitz•The National Phenology Network•North American Butterfly Count•Water Quality Monitoring


What have we learned about What have we learned about how birds are doing from how birds are doing from the Christmas Bird Count?the Christmas Bird Count?


Bewick’s WrenBewick’s Wren

© Cindy Chow


© Linda Huffman

American CrowAmerican Crow


Rusty BlackbirdRusty Blackbird

© Ashok Khosla


Harris’s SparrowHarris’s Sparrow

© Nic Allen


Changes Changes in the in the Winter Winter Ranges of Ranges of BirdsBirds


Why should we care about the Why should we care about the status of birds? status of birds?

• People love birds• Birds are valuable• Birds are indicators• We know a lot about birds• Volunteers count birds• In many cases, we can reverse bird

population declines


The Conservation Value of the Christmas Bird Count is The Conservation Value of the Christmas Bird Count is evident in the many projects resulting from use of these evident in the many projects resulting from use of these datadata


The Christmas Bird Count also The Christmas Bird Count also shows the value of citizen scienceshows the value of citizen science

In the 106th Christmas Bird Count there was a total of 292,000 hours spent counting birds by all participants.

At $16.54 per hour + 12% fringe = $5,405,907 or this is equal to 146 full time employees If you add the cost of miles traveled during the count: 575,000 miles * IRS rates = $209.857 This results in a $5,615,764 value to the work of bird conservation by citizen scientists in that one year! (Niven, 2006)


Audubon’s Audubon’s future future projects with projects with Christmas Christmas Bird Count Bird Count datadata

Audubon California’s Mapping Avian Responses to Climate Change in California, 2009)

CBC circles along the Gulf Coast


Christmas Bird Christmas Bird Count history and Count history and data will inform data will inform Audubon’s future Audubon’s future bird conservation bird conservation work.work.


Barred Owl by Kenneth Cantley

[email protected]

We wish you Good Birding!We wish you Good Birding!

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