The Christmas Bird Count
2021 marked the 122nd annual Christmas Bird Count: a winter bird census where tens of thousands of volunteers spend a 24-hour period on one calendar day to count birds. The marshlands surrounding Great Marsh Institute were once again surveyed as part of this long-running bird census. The first bird count at GMI on record was December 23rd, 1940.
What is the Christmas Bird Count?
A program of the National Audubon Society, the CBC is conducted throughout the Americas and follows strict guidelines for where, when, and how data is collected. The count is conducted on a specified day regardless of the weather, and the resulting comprehensive data set allows organizations and researchers to assess the health of bird populations, which in turn helps guide conservation actions. CBC data has been used in hundreds of analyses, peer-reviewed publications, and government reports over the decades.
How did the CBC begin? Why is it held around Christmas?
Through the late 1800s, Christmas holiday “side hunts” were conducted where teams would compete to see which side could bring in the most “kills”. Many of the animals slaughtered were non-game species, including songbirds. In 1900, ornithologist Frank Chapman proposed a different kind of holiday “hunt”: counting birds instead of killing them. Counters could then submit their data to Bird-Lore magazine, the precursor to Audubon magazine. Twenty-seven participants took part in 1900, and today, 122 years later, more than 80,000 individuals participate in the CBC every Christmas season.
How can I participate?
Each Christmas Bird Count census takes place in an established 15-mile diameter circle. There are over 2,500 existing count circles, and the marshlands that surround Great Marsh Institute are at the center of the Elverson circle. Count volunteers are assigned a specific territory to cover within the circle by a count compiler. Volunteers then count every bird they see or hear in their assigned location on the specified day, somewhere between December 14th and January 5th, for as much of the day as they are willing to count. Birders of all skill sets are welcome to participate – if you are new to birding, you are paired with an experienced birder.
For more information or to help with a Christmas bird count or the springtime Breeding Bird Survey, please contact the Valley Forge Audubon Society at valleyforgeaudubon@gmail.com.
Written by Patty Werth – 1/25/22