‘Tis the season to count birds.

Audubon’s 120th annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is about to begin. Every year from December 14 through January 5 volunteers count the birds they see in a single 24-hour period within 15-mile diameter “count” circles.

It’s easy to participate. No experience is necessary.  Count at your feeders or in the field. Count on your own or in a group.

Choose a location and date that suits you from the map at audubon.org.  Click on the bird icon inside the circle for a description and contact information, then contact the Count Coordinator to let them know you’re counting. The Coordinator makes sure you don’t double-count someone else’s territory and helps you join a group if you wish.

17 counts are planned in southwestern Pennsylvania, listed in the table at the end.

I’ll be counting in the Pittsburgh circle on Saturday, December 28. It has so many participants that each section has its own compiler.  Click here on the ASWP website for the sections and contacts.

Visit Audubon’s website for the complete list and map at “Join the Christmas Bird Count.”

I hope to see you in the field!

Table of 2019 Christmas Bird Counts near Pittsburgh

Count Name	County (general area)	Date	Coordinator	Contact Info
Beaver	Beaver	Sat Dec 21	Rick Mason	richarddmason@gmail.com 724-847-0909
Buffalo Creek	Washington	Sun Dec 15	Larry Helgerman	bobolink1989@gmail.com 412-508-0321
Buffalo Creek Valley	Butler, Armstrong	Sat Dec 14	George Reese	g.reese@gaiconsultants.com, 724-353-9649
Bushy Run	Westmoreland	Sun Dec 29	Dick Byers	otusasio@lhtot.com 724-593-3543
Butler	Butler, Lawrence, Mercer	Sat Dec 14	Glenn Koppel & Mary Alice Koeneke	macatilly@gmail.com macatilly@icloud.com 703-203-3362 703-203-6337
Clarion	Clarion	Sat Jan 4	Debbie McCanna	dmcc1018@windstream.net 724-526-5693
Clarksville	Greene	Sat Dec 28	Terry Dayton	tdayton@windstream.net 724-627-9665
Grove City	Butler, Mercer, Lawrence, Venango	Sat Dec 21	Brendyn Baptiste	brendynbaptiste@yahoo.com 724-496-4856
Imperial	Allegheny, Washington	Sun Jan 5	Bob Mulvihill	robert.mulvihill@gmail.com
Indiana	Indiana	Thu Dec 26	Roger & Marg Higbee	724-354-3493 412-309-3538 bcoriole@windstream.net rvhigbee@windstream.net
Ohiopyle	Fayette, Somerset	Sat Jan 4	Matt Juskowich	412-999-0394 jusko88@yahoo.com
Pittsburgh	Allegheny	Sat Dec 28	Brian Shema, ASWP	bshema@aswp.org ASWP Christmas Bird Count
Pittsburgh South Hills	Allegheny	Sat Dec 14	Nancy Page	412-221-4795
Rector	Westmoreland	Sun Dec 15	Annie Lindsay	LindsayA@carnegiemnh.org 724-593-7521
Ryerson	Greene	Fri Dec 20	Marjorie Howard	birdwatcher108@comcast.net 724-852-3155
South Butler	Butler	Sat Jan 4	Chris Kubiak	ckubiak@aswp.org 412-963-6100
Washington	Washington	Sun Dec 15	Thomas Contreras	tcontreras@washjeff.edu 724-223-6118

(photo by Kate St. John, maps from audubon.org)