Tens of thousands of volunteers throughout the Americas take part in an adventure that has become a family tradition among generations. Families and students, birders and scientists, armed with binoculars, bird guides and checklists go out on an annual mission — often before dawn. For over one hundred years, the desire to both make a difference and to experience the beauty of nature has driven dedicated people to leave the comfort of a warm house during the holiday season.

This year’s count marks the 38th year of the Evanston Christmas Bird Count and the 120th anniversary of the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) held throughout the Americas. The CBC began over a century ago when 27 hunter/conservationists, led by ornithologist Frank Chapman, changed the course of ornithological history. On Christmas Day 1900, the small group of conservationists initiated an alternative activity to the “side hunt,” a holiday practice typical of the time period. This “side hunt” was an activity in which teams competed to see who could shoot the most birds and small mammals. Instead of this hunt, the group, made up mostly of hunters, would put down their firearms for a day and identify, count, and record the birds that they saw. This started the tradition of what now is considered to be the most significant citizen-based conservation effort — and a more than century-old institution.

The data collected by observers over the past century allow researchers, conservation biologists, and other interested individuals to study the long-term health and status of bird populations across North America. When combined with other surveys such as the Breeding Bird Survey, it provides a picture of how the continent’s bird populations have changed over the past hundred years. Growing in popularity since its inception, the count serves  an important scientific function as well. Birds are one of the first groups of animals to be affected by environmental threats like climate change, pollution and habitat destruction. The CBC data provides indispensable information, not only on long-term health of bird populations, but also the status of the environment that birds share with all living things.

From feeder-watchers and field observers to count compilers and regional editors, everyone who takes part in the Christmas Bird Count does it for love of birds and the excitement of friendly competition, and with the knowledge that their efforts provide valuable data for science and bird conservation. 

During last year’s count, more than 48 million birds were tallied by 79,425 volunteers. This year over 2,615 individual counts are scheduled to take place throughout the Americas, and beyond, from Dec. 14, 2019 to Jan. 5, 2020.

Bird numbers down for

the last 33 years

The number of volunteers is impressive, 3,000 more than last year. On the other hand, the number of birds counted is not so impressive, more than 10 million fewer than the year before. The total number of birds recorded on the annual count has been dropping for the last 33 years.

Count event is a 24-hour census

Each count group completes a census of the birds found during one 24-hour period between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5 in a designated circle 15 miles in diameter — about 177 square miles. Participants sit, walk, fly airplanes, boat, cross-country ski, snowmobile, ride horses, and drive all manner of vehicles to tally birds on count day.

Twenty CBC counts were held in Wyoming last year — Albany County, Bates Hole, Buffalo, Casper, Cheyenne, Cody, Crowheart, Dubois, Evanston WY/UT, Gillette, Green River, Guernsey-Fort Laramie, Jackson Hole, Kane, Lander, Pinedale, Riverton, Sheridan, Story-Bighorn, and Sundance. A hundred and fifteen different species were sighted in Wyoming last year. Utah enjoyed 24 counts, with a record 202 different species documented. A total of 3450 birds, 49 species, were tallied during the Evanston CBC last year.

Check out the CBC website 

Historical count results from 1900 to the present are available through Audubon’s website: www.audubon.org/bird/cbc where this year’s count results will be available in real-time. Explore last year’s tallies or visit all the counts from the past. See if and how the state of your local birds has changed during the last 25, 50 or even 100 years.

Deep snow

Last year’s local Christmas Bird Count was a success. Twelve field participants and one person attending a bird feeder spent part or all of a beautiful winter day observing birds. Together the group logged over 3 miles on foot and 305 miles by truck, ATV or snowmobile. A total of 49 species and 3,450 birds were counted. Eurasian-collared dove numbers continue to rise. Noticeably absent were Tree Sparrows.

Much of the Bear River and the Woodruff Narrows Reservoir were frozen and covered in deep snow for the 2018 Evanston CBC. Rough-legged Hawk numbers were high, typical when the snow is deep in western Wyoming. American crows continue to spend the winter in the vicinity of Almy and the Evanston City dump. 14 were sighted on this count. Magpies and starlings seemed to be everywhere. The number of active bird feeders within the count circle is declining. 

A hundred and seventy-six Greater Sage Grouse were found. The Evanston count holds the all-time tally for Greater Sage-Grouse, 698 on the 1985/1986 CBC. The Evanston CBC 10-year average for sage-grouse is 303 per year and many times sage grouse are the most numerous type of bird observed. Unusual species for this year’s Evanston count were Sandhill Crane, Snow Goose, Red-breasted Nuthatch and Scrub Jay (now called Woodhouse’s Jay). 

The Evanston Christmas Bird Count has been held since 1981 and the 15-mile diameter circle is split down the middle by the WY/UT state line. The event would not be successful without the cooperation of private homeowners and ranchers within the count circle.

Help needed — Evanston count, Saturday, Dec. 16

Those interested in participating in the annual Evanston Christmas Bird Count should meet at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16, at the Hornet’s Nest Gas Station, 8 miles north of Evanston on Rt. 89. 

The Evanston circle holds the all-time record count for Greater Sage-Grouse, 698 in 1986. For more details contact Tim Gorman at 307-789-3833 or 307-679-0656.