You can be part of a national contribution to conservation by joining Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count in Warren or Jamestown on Saturday or Sunday, December 15 or 16. A bird like this Blue Jay would be easy to spot, especially against a snowy background. To be assigned a count area in Jamestown, you need to make a reservation a week in advance.
Jamestown, N.Y. – You are invited to count birds as part of a nationwide science project to analyze winter birds across the continent.
On Saturday, December 15, in Warren and Sunday, December 16, in Jamestown you can join a dedicated crew of local bird watchers who take to the roadways, woods, and backyards to see how many birds and species they observe.
Audubon Community Nature Center is supporting National Audubon Society’s 119th Annual Christmas Bird Count.
The first bird counts were organized to draw people away from traditional Christmas bird hunts, when groups went out to shoot raptors (birds of prey) for entertainment.
This citizen science project has been gathering local information on bird populations since the 1940s to create a better local and national understanding of winter birds.
Newer birders are paired with experienced birders to go out to different parts of the region to count birds. Different count options are available, from backyard birdfeeder watching to hiking out through the woods. The count continues regardless of the weather.
Participants must be able to identify the birds, or be willing to go with a person who can do so, and to report using the protocol. Once assigned a location, you can spend as little or as much time as you want on the count day, but this will be a part of the reporting.
Each count takes place in an established 15-mile wide diameter circle and is organized by a count compiler. Volunteers follow specified routes, counting every bird they see or hear all day. It is not just a species tally—all birds are counted all day, giving an indication of the total number of birds in the circle that day.
If you are a beginning birder, you will be able to join a group that includes at least one experienced birdwatcher.
If you live in the Christmas Bird Count circle, you can also help by filling your feeders and then keeping a list of the birds you observe on the counting day.
To participate in the Warren count on December 15, contact Don Watts at (814) 723-9125 or (814) 730-9204. To participate in the Jamestown count on December 16, you need to make reservations by Sunday, December 9, with Bill Seleen at (716) 499-4204.
For more information, call Audubon Community Nature Center at (716) 569-2345 during business hours or go to the Events page at auduboncnc.org.
Audubon Community Nature Center builds and nurtures connections between people and nature by providing positive outdoor experiences, opportunities to learn about and understand the natural world, and knowledge to act in environmentally responsible ways. Visit at 1600 Riverside Road, one-quarter mile east of Route 62 between Jamestown, N.Y., and Warren, Pa., or online at auduboncnc.org.
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