Each year, the Audubon Christmas Bird Count mobilizes over 70,000 volunteer bird counters in more than 2,400 locations across the Western Hemisphere. The Audubon Christmas Bird Count utilizes the power of volunteers to track the health of bird populations at a scale that professional scientists could never accomplish alone. Data compiled in Morris will record every individual bird and bird species seen in a specified area, contributing to a vast citizen science network that continues a tradition stretching back more than 100 years.
Last year, local participants saw two snowy owls in a year in which hundreds were seen throughout the U.S. Participants this year will meet at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 17 at the Morris Wetlands Management at 43875 230th Street, Morris, MN 56267. For more information call (320) 589-1001.
Last year's count in Morris revealed the first white-throated sparrows for the area count.
Counts took place in all 50 states, all Canadian provinces, and over 100 count circles in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands. A total of 2,408 counts and 71,659 observers tallied over 66 million birds of 2,403 different species.
"This is not just about counting birds," said Gary Langham, Audubon's chief scientist. "Data from the Audubon Christmas Bird Count are at the heart of hundreds peer-reviewed scientific studies and inform decisions by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of the Interior, and the EPA. Because birds are early indicators of environmental threats to habitats we share, this is a vital survey of North America and, increasingly, the Western Hemisphere."
The Audubon Christmas Bird Count began in 1900 when Dr. Frank Chapman, founder of Bird-Lore, which evolved into Audubon magazine, suggested an alternative to the holiday "side hunt," where teams competed to see who could shoot the most birds. While the ultimate goal of participating on a count is tallying a representative sample of the birds on a count day, the natural competitive spirit of birders is what drives them to do the most thorough job possible. CBC has become a treasured holiday tradition, a reunion with birding friends, and a way to play a small part in a big conservation picture. The growing combined pool of contributed sightings helps researchers understand how birds are faring in a way that Frank M. Chapman could never have conceived of back in 1900.
The annual Christmas Bird Count is a Citizen Science project organized by the National Audubon Society. There is no fee to participate and the annual published report, American Birds, is available online. Audubon Christmas Bird Count information is also available online in Spanish. For more information and to find a count near you, visit http://ift.tt/1shWMnA.
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