The Elkhart County Parks and South Bend-Elkhart Audubon is inviting volunteers to take part in the 24th Annual Elkhart County Christmas Bird Count on Saturday, Jan. 4.
For over a century, this nationwide event organized by the National Audubon Society has brought together birders of all skill levels for one-day regional counts of local wintering birds.
The Christmas Bird Count, one of the longest-running citizen science projects in the world, is celebrating its 120th year on a national level and 24th year in Elkhart County.
During the count, volunteer teams tally all birds seen and heard in their assigned sections within their local survey circle to help provide a one-day snapshot of bird populations across the county.
Counters can join a team in the field or count from the comfort of home and can choose to gather data all day or as little as one hour. The 15-mile survey circle for the Elkhart County bird count extends from the state line south to Waterford MillsĀ and includes the towns of Bristol, Middlebury, Goshen and eastern portions of Elkhart.
On the day of the count, field teams will cover assigned sections within the county circle and count birds along roadsides and waterways, as well as parks and green spaces.
Volunteers interested in joining a field team for the bird count will meet at 7:30 a.m. at Ox Bow Haus Shelter in Ox Bow County Park for their group assignments. Teams will birdwatch by car and on foot. Participants are encouraged to dress for the weather, and bring binoculars and field guides. Ox Bow County Park is located at 23033Ā C.R. 45 in Dunlap.
Those who live within the boundaries of the count circle can also participate by reporting the birds that visit their feeders and yard. Feeder counts can take place anytime throughout the day and participants will use the highest number of each individual species seen at once for the final tallies. Residents who live along rivers and waterways are especially needed to collect data from their homes.
After the count, data is compiled and submitted to the National Audubon Society along with over 2,300 bird counts that take place over a three-week period during the holidays throughout North America.
The Christmas Bird Count is the longest-running citizen science survey in the world. Each year, the Audubon Christmas Bird Count utilizes the power of over 70,000 volunteers to track the health of bird populations at a scale that professional scientists could never accomplish alone. Every local count is part of this vast volunteer network and continues a tradition that stretches back 120 years.
Last year, the Elkhart County Parks had assistance from 72 volunteers who tied a record-high count for the county of 82 different species and more than 19,912 individual birds. The species list included a county-first blue-winged teal for the count, and second-recorded sightings of a glaucous gull, common loon and American pipit.
āThe Elkhart County Christmas Bird Count would not be successful if it wasnāt for the many volunteers who spend their day assisting with this important community service project,ā stated Elkhart County Parks Director Ronda DeCaire, āSome of our citizen scientists have been helping to collect bird data for more than two decades in Elkhart County, but we also welcome new participants.ā
Source: Elkhart County Parks
n To sign up for the Elkhart County Christmas Bird Count and receive instructions, volunteers should register by Thursday, Jan. 2, by contacting the Elkhart County Parks at 574-535-6458 or emailing Ronda DeCaireĀ at [email protected]. Volunteers should include their name, address, phone number and e-mail when signing up.
n More information about the history of the Christmas Bird Count and the results for past Elkhart County countsĀ are available at christmasbirdcount.org.
