The annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) has been held for well over a century and is conducted by National Audubon Society with help from thousands of volunteers. Between December 14 and January 5 volunteers throughout the Americas take part in the effort. Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this long-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations, and to help guide conservation actions. The count is constructed differently than the MOS seasonal counts in that volunteers attempt to count all birds within the same set of non-overlapping circles every year. Approximately 25 circles contain at least a portion of Maryland. Refer to the CBC site to learn more, find a circle near you and count! It’s a great way to get outside, relax and bird during a busy time of year when there are so many other distractions.
Other winter bird counts are timed to sample the local bird population in the dead of winter, when we can be pretty sure all the southerly migrant birds have left and northerly migration hasn’t yet begun. The counts are held in late December or January in some of the Maryland counties. We’ve been fortunate most years recently that the weather has been reasonably cooperative but occasionally a count is postponed a week or so. Obviously, the birds aren’t as numerous as in the spring or fall, but birding can be rewarding at this time of year. Some species are not here during the warmer months, having, in some cases, moved from higher elevations. Others are surprises, not seen every year, when they “irrupt” from more northern climes, driven by some event such as extremely cold weather north of Maryland or food shortage or other conditions that may not be well understood. Snowy owls are the most recent dramatic species to be seen. For more information, please check the MOS calendar for winter counts.