A male Bufflehead on the water. Photo credit: Mick Thompson

The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is an annual bird census powered by volunteers that takes place between December 14 and January 5 each year. The CBC is the world’s largest and longest-running community science data collection project. This marks the 43rd year of Eastside Audubon’s participation as a local chapter of National Audubon Society which has been coordinating the CBC for 127 years.

During this one-day event, Eastside Audubon volunteers explore more than a dozen routes and multiple locations covering a 15-mile radius circle. Participation is free and open to bird enthusiasts of any level. Learn more about ways to participate.

History

Beginning on Christmas Day 1900, ornithologist Frank M. Chapman, an early officer in the then-nascent Audubon Society, proposed a new holiday tradition —a "Christmas Bird Census" that would count birds during the holidays rather than hunt them.

Conservation

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 action.