2011 Christmas Bird Count
Sign Up for one of our annual Christmas Bird Counts!
1. Grand Junction CBC, December 18, 2011 - SIGN UP
The Grand Junction CBC has been divided into 16 Areas plus a river float and each area is led by an experienced birder. Please e-mail or call one of the 17 Party Leaders to participate.
2. Grand Mesa CBC, January 1, 2012 - SIGN UP
The Grand Mesa CBC has been divided into 5 Areas. To participate please e-mail or call one of the five experienced Party Leaders.
The Details....
What to bring
Dress in layers with warm clothing and bring binoculars, water, snacks and bird books.
History
Every year around Christmas time thousands of volunteers enjoy a special day-long adventure called the Christmas Bird Count (CBC). The first Christmas Bird Count was held in the year 1900 and it has been held every year since. The number of counts continues to grow and there are now more than 2,200 count circles.
Who can participate and how you can participate
The beauty of the Christmas Bird Counts is that anyone can participate...anyone from beginners to experts. New birders are especially welcome to join in on either or both of our two counts. The more eyes we have in each group the more birds will be spotted and accounted for.
Those who participate, such as families, birders and scientists, join in on this annual event with binoculars, spotting scopes, checklists and birding guides. They go into the field to count every bird they see and they list the results for each species. All bird counts are organized and run the same way throughout the Americas, with most counts being in the U.S. and Canada. There are also several counts in the Caribbean and in Central and South America.
Everyone is welcome - please consider participating.
New to Birding?
If you want to participate but don’t know where, or if you have any questions about the Christmas Bird Counts please e-mail Paul Didier or call 242-8643.
We Count in Circles
Each count is held within a circle that is fifteen miles in diameter, and each circle is always in the same location in order for the results to be comparable to earlier years for that circle. GJ Circle, Mesa Circle
National Audubon Society Collects Data from Around the Country
The Audubon Christmas Bird Count is run by the National Audubon Society (NAS) in partnership with Bird Studies Canada, the North American Breeding Bird Survey, and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. All of the data collected from all of the counts over the past 111 years has been included in a massive database, which is maintained by the NAS at the Audubon Science Office near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
What Happens to the Collected Data?
Scientists use the data to assess bird population trends and health, as well as to determine if some species are extending their ranges toward the north due to global warming (they are), and to help guide conservation action. We have several lists, but you can download a Birding Checklist for any birding trip you take.
Feeder Watchers are Encouraged to Participate!
Feeder Watchers are also encouraged to participate by reporting the species that come to their feeders on Count Day. Of course it is necessary to live within the appropriate circle. If interested in being a Feeder Watcher please e-mail Paul Didier for information about how to participate.
Fees
There is a $5.00 required fee per field participant. Feeder watchers do not need to pay the fee and all observers 18 and under may participate for free. These fees fund the program and help to cover the costs of generating materials for Compilers, producing an annual CBC summary issue, and maintaining the CBC website and database by the National Audubon Society.
