What is the Christmas Bird Count?
The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is a long-standing program of the National Audubon Society, with over 120 years of community science involvement. It is an early-winter bird census, where thousands of volunteers across the U.S., Canada, and many countries in the Western Hemisphere go out over a 24-hour period on one calendar day to count birds.
When does the Christmas Bird Count happen?
All Christmas Bird Counts are conducted between December 14 to January 5, inclusive dates, every year. Your local count will occur on one day between those dates. Participate in as many counts as you wish!
How does participation work?
There is a specific methodology to the CBC, and all participants must make arrangements to participate in advance with the circle compiler but anyone can participate. Participation is free.
Each count takes place in an established 15-mile diameter circle, and is organized by a count compiler. Count volunteers follow specified routes through a designated 15-mile (24-km) diameter circle, counting every bird they see or hear all day. It's not just a species tally—all birds are counted all day, giving an indication of the total number of birds in the circle that day.
If you are a beginning birder, you will be able to join a group that includes at least one experienced birdwatcher.
If your home is within the boundaries of a CBC circle, then you can stay at home and report the birds that visit your feeder on count day as long as you have made prior arrangement with the count compiler.
Can I just do my own CBC and send you my data?
No. Since each CBC is a real census, effort data are collected as well as bird numbers, and since the 15-mile diameter circle contains a lot of area to be covered, single-observer counts (except in unusual circumstances) are not allowed. To participate in the CBC, you will need to join an existing CBC circle by contacting the compiler in advance of the count day.
As an alternative, you may be interested in getting involved in the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) organized by Audubon, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Birds Canada. It takes place President's Day weekend each February, and you can count the birds each day in your backyard/community and then enter the results online. For more information on the GBBC, visit Audubon’s GBBC page.
Why do some Christmas Bird Count circles not accept additional participants?
Accepting additional participants is the individual decision of each circle compiler and is based on a number of factors, including the number of participants already committed to the count, potential pre-arranged access to restricted areas, the amount of area already covered, and the compiler's available time.
I cannot find a circle near me, can I set up my own circle?
If you want to propose a new CBC circle, please make sure to read the requirements and follow the application process here. Be aware that establishing a new circle is a long-term commitment.
How is the Christmas Bird Count funded?
The Christmas Bird Count relies 100 percent on donations since becoming free to participate in 2012. Audubon provides support to compilers and volunteers, to manage the historic database, and to fund the technology to make historic data available to researchers. The data collected by CBC participants over the past century have become one of only two large pools of information informing ornithologists and conservation biologists how the birds of the Americas are faring over time. Help us keep the program free and to ensure the future of the program. Please make a donation today.
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Answers to your top questions about the Christmas Bird Count - National Audubon Society
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