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‘Tis the season to count birds.
The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is an annual year-end tradition of tallying birds, now in its 117th year. Each count is a 15-mile diameter circle manned by volunteers who count the birds they see in a single 24-hour period.
There are 14 counts planned for the Pittsburgh area between now and early January. See the table below for the list and click here for a map of the local count circles compiled by Bob Mulvihill at the National Aviary.
It’s easy to participate and no experience is necessary! You can count at your own feeders or go out in the field, paired with another birder.
Call the compiler ahead of time to let him know you’re coming, especially if the count will be held over the holidays. The Pittsburgh Count on December 31 has so many participants that each section has its own compiler. Click here for the sections and contacts.
I’ll be counting in the Pittsburgh circle.
I hope to see you in the field.
UPDATE on 12/5/2016! The Imperial CBC is on Sunday 12/18/2016, not on 12/28. The table below has been corrected.
2016 Christmas Bird Counts in the Pittsburgh Area
| Date | County | CBC Name | Compiler | Contact Info |
| Sat. 12/17/2016 | Beaver | Beaver | Rick Mason | 724-847-0909 richarddmason@gmail.com |
| 12/17 | Butler, Lawrence, Mercer |
Butler | Glenn Koppel Mary A Koeneke |
703-203-3362 kestrel22@hotmail.com 703-203-6337 macatilly@icloud.com |
| 12/17 | Butler, Armstrong |
Buffalo Creek Valley | George Reese | 724-353-9649 g.reese@gaiconsultants.com |
| 12/17 | Allegheny, Washington |
Pittsburgh South Hills | Nancy Page | 412-221-4795 |
| 12/17 | Greene | Ryerson | Marjorie Howard | 724-852-3155 birdwatcher108@comcast.net |
| 12/17 | Washington | Washington | Tom Contreras | 724-223-6118 tcontreras@washjeff.edu |
| Sun. 12/18/2016 | Allegheny, Washington |
Imperial | Bob Mulvihill | robert.mulvihill@gmail.com |
| 12/18 | Greene | Clarksville | Terry Dayton | 724-627-9665 tdayton@windstream.net |
| 12/18 | Washington | Buffalo Creek | Larry Helgerman | 412-508-0321 bobolink1989@gmail.com |
| Mon. 12/26/2016 | Indiana | Indiana | Roger & Margaret Higbee | 724-354-3493 bcoriole@windstream.net |
| Wed. 12/28/2016 | Westmoreland | Bushy Run | Dick Byers | 724-593-3543 otusasio@lhtot.com |
| Sat. 12/31/2016 | Allegheny | Pittsburgh | Brian Shema | 412-963-6100 bshema@aswp.org There are compilers for each section of the circle. Click here for details. |
| Mon. 1/2/2017 | Westmoreland | Rector | Matt Webb | 412-622-5591 webbm@carnegiemnh.org |
| Sat. 1/7/2017 | Butler | South Butler | Chris Kubiak | 412-963-6100 ckubiak@aswp.org |
Read more about the Christmas Bird Count here at audubon.org.
(photo by Gary Peeples www.fws.gov/asheville/ via Wikimedia Commons. Click on the image to see the original)