Around the turn of the twentieth century, hunters engaged in the Christmas “Side Hunt,” a holiday tradition in which competitors went afield on Christmas Day to hunt and gather the greatest number of wildlife, including birds. On that holiday in 1900, ornithologist Frank Chapman, an early officer of the newly formed Audubon Society, proposed taking a census of birds instead of hunting them.
Inspired by this new challenge, participants from the Northeast region of the U.S., Canada, and California held 25 bird counts and recorded approximately 90 species in total.
The 124th Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC) will begin on Saturday, December 14, 2024, and continue through Sunday, January 5, 2025. It is free and open to the public, and is one of the longest running wildlife censuses in the world — now taking place in more than 20 countries in the Western Hemisphere.
Each individual count, which runs for 24 hours in a 15-mile-wide circle, is led by a compiler who organizes volunteers and submits observations directly to the National Audubon Society. This event provides insights into the health and status of bird populations, and helps guide bird conservation efforts.
Visit the Audubon Society website to join a count in your area.
Five Rivers Environmental Education Center in Delmar, Albany County, will hold its 44th annual New Year’s Day Bird Count on Wednesday, January 1, from 9 am until noon. Join bird experts from the Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club for this significant local survey by visiting DEC’s website for information on how to register by December 30th. If severe weather is forecast, the event will be cancelled.
Read more about biding in New York State.
Photo courtesy DEC.
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