Spritz your binoculars, squeegee those windows, and lace up your boots to scout out birds in our region and across the globe. What, you say? Why the heck do that? For the annual Christmas Bird Count, of course! The annual count, a citizen-led tally of birds found in natural settings, and even in backyards, is an important year-end activity less than two weeks away in our region. In fact, local bird counts in Virginia date back to 1904. Today, just under 60 Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs) are held in the Commonwealth. Think of this multiplied by every state in the United States and many countries around the world. That’s a whole lot of counting going on, and for very good reasons.
Why Bother Counting Our Feathered Friends?
The reasons are as plentiful as a Mockingbird’s repertoire. Okay, perhaps not that vast, but they are many! In addition to helping determine patterns and trends in bird health and habitat through counting the presence or absence of various species of birds, these avian counts enable experts to analyze increases or decreases in population, health, and other important factors related directly to bird species. And, while we’re on the subject of health, birds are also indicators of greater environmental health—or lack thereof. If you don’t believe the Back Bay Journal, take a listen to Lauren Mowbray, Supervisory Wildlife Biologist at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge: “There are many reasons why birds are the ideal group of species to count. First, they are mostly migratory and move readily with changing conditions. Even our non-migratory species move throughout habitats to meet their needs. This movement can serve as an indicator for what is occurring in our ecosystems. We can collect climate and vegetation data about habitats through other methods, yet understanding how that translates to impacting food resources and movement of animals can only be accomplished through species observation. Birds are a good species group to count because they are readily visible not only to professionals but also the general public. The power of the Christmas Bird Count is that is a snapshot of our bird population across the entire county at one general time. That would not be possible without private citizens helping to collect data,” she explains. “We, as professionals, have just a small picture over the overall avian flyaway composition. A larger picture is needed to understand any changes that may be happening with our migratory bird populations.”
This Count Matters!
Still think counting birds is for a bunch of quacks? According to findings published in 2021 by the Journal of Wildlife Management, a recent shift in duck migration correlates directly to warming temperatures. This finding, based on data collected during Audubon’s annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) from 1969-2019 assisted experts in confirming and quantifying this relationship. Check out the link below to learn all the details!
https://www.audubon.org/news/ducks-southern-us-have-shifted-northward-due-temperature-changes-attributed
More from Lauren Mowbray: “The bird census information gathered on all these counts has become the world’s longest-running database in ornithology and is maintained by the National Audubon Society. Yearly summary reports for Virginia CBCs are published in The Raven.” You can read all about the census information by following this link:
https://www.virginiabirds.org/the-raven
Where, When, and How to Count
In 1904, the first Christmas Bird Count in Virginia was conducted by a single participant who recorded six species. Today in Virginia, nearly 60 Christmas Bird Counts take place annually. The same thing happens in every state and many countries as CBCs are held around the world. Each local Christmas Bird Count occurs within a 15-mile diameter circle. Participants count all the birds they can find in the circle within a 24-hour period. Experience is helpful but not required. You do not have to be an experienced birdwatcher to participate in the count. You will need to supply your own binoculars and other equipment you will use to identify and count birds. To folks—hopefully including you—interested in counting various species in the southern Virginia Beach area, there are rules to keep the count accurate. If you’re not sure you’ll be able to identify the species that you see, help is possible to Use a birding app like Picture Bird, Merlin Bird ID, and birding field guides to help determine a bird species of which you are not certain. Better yet, ask a friend with some birding experience to accompany you on the count.
Want to count on December 29th in Back Bay?
CBCs take place in designated geographic circles, and every circle has a coordinator. There is no cost to participate in Virginia Beach's CBC, but registration is required. Contact Cindy Hamilton, Circle Coordinator, a.s.a.p. at: hamiltonhouseva@gmail.com. Now, get out and get counting. You’ll really have something great to crow about!
