Christmas Bird Counts
Every December, hundreds of Bay Area birders take part in Golden Gate Audubon’s Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs) in Oakland and San Francisco. From before dawn until dusk, they trek through parks, neighborhoods, and wetlands, venture out in boats on the bay, and skirt reservoirs and bayside mudflats to identify the species and count the numbers of birds at every site.
Annual Christmas Bird Counts, sponsored by the National Audubon Society and conducted by volunteers, are held throughout the U.S. The counts attempt to record every individual bird encountered within a defined 15-mile diameter—about 177 square miles—during one calendar day. The counts began on December 25, 1900, when a small group of bird lovers, led by scientist Frank Chapman, posed an alternative to the “side hunt,” in which teams competed to see who could shoot the most birds and small mammals. Chapman’s group identified, counted, and recorded all the birds they saw, thus founding a conservation effort that has grown exponentially over the last century.
Golden Gate Audubon hosts two Christmas Bird Counts each year: in Oakland and in San Francisco. Each count day culminates with a festive dinner where final counts are tallied and stories exchanged about rare bird sightings and locations. Local CBC data, sent to the National Audubon Society, are a crucial part of this country’s natural history monitoring database provide valuable insight into the past and present status and health of continental bird populations and the general health of our environment. Recent and historical CBC results are available on the National Audubon Society’s website.
UPDATE: We’re sorry, but registration for the 2009 Christmas Bird Count is closed. Please plan to join us for next year’s count in December, 2010.
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Looking for another count area? For the entire California list, check out Nature’s Alley. Some local counts we recommend:
- Benicia, December 14
- East Contra Costa County, December 15
- Eastern Alameda County (NEW), December 18
- Contra Costa County, December 19
- Pt. Reyes Peninsula, December 19
- Marin, December 26