3 December 2020

Cold weather has chased us indoors and we’re stir crazy because of the pandemic but we can still have fun in the next four+ weeks. Join Audubon’s 121st annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) Monday 14 December 2020 through Tuesday 5 January 2021.(*)

During the CBC, volunteers count birds in more than 2,500 count circles in the North America. Each count has a 15-mile diameter circle, a single scheduled day, and a count coordinator who keeps track of volunteers, areas covered, and data received.

It’s easy to participate. No experience is necessary.  Spend a day counting birds at your feeder or in the field.

Choose a location and date that suits you from the national map at audubon.org or from the list of Pittsburgh area Christmas Bird Counts at Audubon Society of Western PA. Contact the Count Coordinator(s) to let them know you’re counting. They’ll make sure you don’t double-count someone else’s territory and will let you know the COVID-19 rules.

I’ll be counting in the Pittsburgh circle on Saturday, December 26. There are so many participants that it’s divided into 12 sections. Click here for the sections and contacts.

Wear a mask, get outdoors and have fun. Start counting!

(photo from Wikimedia Commons, maps from audubon.org; click on the captions to see the originals)