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Contribute to Science with Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count Dec. 14 – Jan. 5

Brown-headed Nuthatch on pine cone by Will Stuart
Brown-headed Nuthatch on pine cone by Will Stuart

It’s Time For Audubon’s 117th Annual Christmas Bird Count
North Carolina’s Bird Lover Winter Tradition Still Contributing To Science

CHAPEL HILL (December 12, 2016)— Audubon North Carolina invites birdwatchers to participate in the longest-running citizen science survey, the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC). Between December 14 and January 5, hundreds of bird-loving volunteers will participate in counts across North Carolina.

During the 2015 North Carolina CBC volunteers counted 796,959 individual birds of 222 species. 2016 is shaping up to be another great year for citizen science.

The Christmas Bird Count is the longest-running wildlife census in the world. Each individual count takes place in a 15-mile-wide circle and is led by a compiler responsible for organizing volunteers and submitting observations to Audubon. In the 51 circles in North Carolina, participants tally all birds seen or heard that day—not just the species but total numbers to provide a clear idea of the health of that particular population.

Each year, North Carolina ranks in the top performing states participating in the global citizen science event. North Carolina 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.

“It’s never been easier to be a citizen scientist and it’s never been more important to be one,” said David Yarnold (@david_yarnold), president and CEO of the National Audubon Society. “Birds and the people who watch them are noticing changes. Using the data gathered by more than a century of Christmas Bird Counts, Audubon will keep protecting birds and the places they need. I’m incredibly proud of the volunteers that contribute to this tradition.”

Christmas Bird Count data have been used in more than 200 peer-reviewed articles, including Audubon’s landmark Birds and Climate Change Report, which found that more than half of the bird species in North America are threatened by a changing climate. When combined with other surveys such as the Breeding Bird Survey, it provides a picture of how the continent’s bird populations have changed in time and space over the past hundred years. The long-term perspective is vital for conservationists. It informs strategies to protect birds and their habitat, and helps identify environmental issues with implications for people as well.

Last year, the 116th Christmas Bird Count included a record-setting 2,505 count circles, with 1,902 counts in the United States, 471 in Canada and 132 in Latin America, the Caribbean, Bermuda and the Pacific Islands. In total, 76,669 observers out in the field tallied up 58,878,071 birds representing 2,607 different species—about one-quarter of the world’s known avifauna. Approximately 5 percent of the North American landmass was surveyed by the Christmas Bird Count.

“From our mountains to our coasts, the 117th CBC is a tradition that everyone can participate in,” said Curtis Smalling. “Adding observations to more than a century of data helps scientists and conservationists observe trends that will help make our work more impactful.”

Beginning on Christmas Day in 1900, Dr. Frank M. Chapman, founder of Bird-Lore – which evolved into Audubon magazine — proposed a new holiday tradition that would count birds during the holidays rather than hunt them. Conservation was in its beginning stages in that era, and many observers and scientists were becoming concerned about declining bird populations. So began the Christmas Bird Count. 117 years later, the tradition continues and still manages to bring out the best in people.

The Audubon Christmas Bird Count is a citizen science project organized by the National Audubon Society. There is no fee to participate and the quarterly report, American Birds, is available online. Counts are open to birders of all skill levels and Audubon’s free Bird Guide app makes it even easier to chip in. For more information and to find a count near you visitwww.christmasbirdcount.org.

About Audubon North Carolina
With over a century of conservation history in North Carolina, Audubon strives to conserve and restore the habitats we share with all wildlife, focusing on the needs of birds. Audubon North Carolina achieves its mission through a blend of science-based research and conservation, education and outreach, and advocacy. Audubon North Carolina has offices in Corolla, Boone, Wilmington and Chapel Hill. Learn more at nc.audubon.org and @audubonnc.

About Audubon
The National Audubon Society saves birds and their habitats throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education and on-the-ground conservation. Audubon’s state programs, nature centers, chapters and partners have an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire and unite diverse communities in conservation action. Since 1905, Audubon’s vision has been a world in which people and wildlife thrive. Audubon is a nonprofit conservation organization. Learn more at www.audubon.org and follow @audubonsociety.