In 1900, to oppose the so-called “side-hunt” wherein groups of hunters competed to see who could shoot the most wildlife on Boxing Day, American ornithologist Frank Chapman asked North Americans to head out on Christmas Day, to count the birds in their communities and submit the results as the first ever “Christmas Bird Census”.
His suggestion has evolved into one of the largest organized birding events in the world, and now is a holiday tradition during the Christmas season for well over 50,000 participants each year.
The 110th annual Christmas Bird Count, as it is now called, is conducted in well over 2200 localities across Canada, the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
The bird observations have been amassed into a huge database that reflect the distribution and numbers of winter birds, over time. The northward spread of many wintering species, so depicted, shows clear evidence of climate change.
The Christmas Bird Count season begins on December 14, 2009 and extends right through the holidays to January 5, 2010. Over 370 counts are held in Canada each year, thanks to the efforts of more than 12,000 volunteer participants. The count is coordinated by Bird Studies Canada and the National Audubon Society.
To find contact information for local count organizers, visit Bird Studies Canada Christmas Bird Count web page and click on “Find a Count Near You.” You can download a summary report of last year’s count on the Audubon website.
Source: Bird Studies Canada
This is a great way to get involved so I encourage all to participate. Thanks Pat!
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