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Weldon, CA - Over the past 112 years, the National Audubon
Society has compiled data
from a growing list of Christmas Bird
Counts (CBCs).
In 1949, Kern County
bird watchers (birders) began counting wintering
birds as part of this holiday
tradition. Today
birders test their identification skill between
December 14 through January 5.
Each individual bird
is counted in a pre-designated 15-mile
circle during a 24-hour period.
CBCs are a fun and
important scientific sport that can help us
appreciate the environment we all share. In the
past few years CBC data on winter bird
distribution has been analyzed to see if the
birds could tell us something about the state of
our environment.
Gardeners, horticulturists,
and scientists have noted that plants are
blooming earlier. In turn
insects are hatching earlier
signaling a warming planet.
Ornithologists have observed
that birds are spending more time in
northern climates, nesting earlier, and not
migrating as far south. According to research by
Audubon California, in the next few decades it
is predicted that thirty-five percent of native
California bird species will experience
significant reductions in their geographic range
due to climate change.
During the three week CBC
period people from Alaska to Antarctica
count birds. Of 129
Christmas Bird Counts held
in California;
11 are held at least partially in Kern County.
Eight local volunteers
coordinate and compile the efforts of hundreds
of volunteer counters. Participants are welcome
to join CBCs across the county and are assigned
to teams based on their bird identification
skill level. It costs $5.00 to participate in
each CBC which helps to defray a portion the
National Audubon Society’s cost in tabulating
and publishing the count results.
Bird watching can be as simple as appreciating
the colorful little birds in your backyard or
watching a magnificent eagle soar high above.
Taken to a higher level birds begin to have
names unique to the species where one can then
begin to keep statistics on bird population and
distribution. The sport of birding involves
skill and endurance. It is
fun to capture this snapshot of the
natural world.
If you find it just too cold to come out on a
December or January day, you can keep a list of
your backyard birds and send them to your area
compiler. Or if you are a landowner that loves
birds and would like to have the birds counted
on your property, contact us to see if there is
a count in your area, we'll put you in touch
with your area compiler so you can give them
permission to access to your property. If you’ve
ever heard yourself say, “maybe it’d be fun to
learn birds,” here is your great opportunity.
To learn more contact
Garrison Frost, Audubon
California,
Emeryville,
CA. Phone (510)
601-1866 x225 or email:
gfrost@audubon.org
This webpage lists the
schedule of all known
California Christmas Bird Counts
www.natureali.org/cbcs.htm
For more information about the history of the
Christmas Bird Count:
http://birds.audubon.org/christmas-bird-count
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