Next count set for Feb. 17-20
Many Colorado bird lovers enjoyed a unique holiday tradition – counting birds. The annual Christmas Bird Count started 112 years ago, launched by ornithologist Frank Chapman as an annual event to observe, count and help protect American bird species. On Christmas Day, 1900, 27 bird counters across the country – including one person in Pueblo – tallied a total of 90-feathered species. Since then, the CBC has become an important and beloved three-week event.
The annual Bird Count began in response to a lethal Christmas tradition called the “Side Hunt” where two opposing teams of hunters would shoot as many birds and small mammals as possible. The gory Christmas ritual ended with the winning team bringing in the largest pile of dead animals. The CBC encouraged people to count rather than slaughter our feathered friends.
This colorful Western Bluebird perches atop a fence post.
Bird lovers already had witnessed declining bird populations. They feared losing entire bird species like the Passenger Pigeon, once the most numerous bird species on the planet but gone by the early 1900s. So, the Audubon Society organized in 1905 to “conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity.” It was named for John James Audubon, a well-known ornithologist who catalogued, identified and painted North American bird species. Audubon’s bird paintings and prints are still treasured today.
Interest in nature and science flourished worldwide during the late Victorian era. In Colorado, folks flocked to the Denver Natural History Museum, fascinated with the dioramas of mounted birds and mammals posed in simulations of the animals’ native habitats. Observing birds soon became intertwined with protecting them.
Today, the National Audubon Society protects birds by combining science and education and by influencing public policy and legislation. It accomplishes this via the Society’s network of members, 500 local chapters, numerous Audubon Centers and 24 state offices. The Christmas Bird Count grew as an essential conservation tool for the Audubon Society.
How it works
Citizen scientists will again help out during the Great Backyard Bird Count, in mid-February.
In Colorado, 48 different Bird Count Circles spent all or most of a designated day, Dec. 12 – Jan. 5, counting and logging the types of species and numbers of birds they observed in a 15-mile-diameter circle (an area of 177 square miles). A Count Circle is subdivided into 15 sub-areas, each assigned to a volunteer. The counting team is headed up by a lead Bird Compiler who provides the accumulate information to the Audubon Society. The Bird Counters hike, snowshoe and even ski into the forest, across the prairie or up the mountainside where they spot, count and record the different birds into their species log. Many bird counters rely upon a published bird guide like Birds of North America (or even a smart-phone application) to distinguish the different species by their plumage, flight patterns, behavior and birdsong.
Some Bird Count groups started at sun-up; others began mid-day. Many met afterwards for a Tally Rally, chili supper or compilation dinner. Some areas targeted certain species, like owls in the Hotchkiss area. The Loveland Circle focused on gulls, raptors, waterfowl and Northern Pygmy-Owl inhabiting lakes and reservoir areas. Each participant paid a $5 fee that helps fund efforts of the Audubon Society.
The Great Backyard Bird Count, Feb. 17-20, gives bird lovers another chance to help out. This event creates a real-time snapshot of where birds are across the U.S. and Canada. Bird counters can do the job from the warmth and comfort of their home, counting the feathered visitors who come to the bird feeder and perch on the back fence. Last year, participants turned in more than 92,000 checklists.
The results
Birds eat insects, help scatter plant species and help control other species’ populations. They are also a critical food source for numerous other species. Photos by Cathleen Norman
The annual Christmas Bird Count is critical to gauging the health of bird populations. Climate changes are altering birds’ habitats and reshaping their migration patterns. The Audubon Society’s reports, created from the annual count, help assess how changing bird populations might impact entire biological systems.
The 2010 CBC shattered records. A total of 2,215 counts by 62,624 “citizen scientists” tallied more than 60 million birds. Counts took place in all 50 states, all Canadian provinces, plus 107 count circles in Latin America, the Caribbean and the Pacific Islands. The longest running Citizen Science survey in the world, the CBC is a shining example of “crowd science.”
And WHY are birds so important?
Besides their beauty, grace, amusing habits and lovely birdsongs, the feathered creatures eat insects, help scatter plant species and help control other species’ populations. Imagine how the prairie dog population would explode without the help of hungry hawks, falcons and eagles! Birds are also a critical food source for numerous other species.
Colorado is at a geographic crossroads. Many bird species migrate north-south along the Rocky Mountain chain. Migrating flocks often follow Colorado’s rivers, resting at lakes and reservoirs. For example, the well-known Sandhill Cranes travel seasonally through our San Luis Valley, where bird-lovers come to witness the spectacle of thousands of cranes. The birds’ visit inspires local events and festivities like the mid-March Monte Vista Crane Festival in 2012.
Birding in Colorado
With 430 bird species, Colorado is one of the top birding states. Colorado has three Birding Trails that highlight habitats and species. The Eastern Plains Trail is a network for sighting grassland fowl, like the plover and the Greater Prairie Chicken. Migrating Snow Geese visit playa lakes and man-made reservoirs especially in southeast Colorado. The Western Colorado Trail contains arid red-rock and canyon country, home to numerous desert species. The region also contains many species that flourish in orchards, farmlands and riparian areas and along reservoirs and west-flowing rivers. The Rocky Mountains Trail contains snow-capped peaks, deep canyons and headwaters for several major rivers. One of this region’s most elusive bird species is the Black Swift that nests on steep and craggy canyon walls.
The Audubon Center at Chatfield State Park encourages children, families and adults to discover, learn and take action. Located alongside the South Platte River – an important wildlife corridor – the center offers visitors the chance to explore multiple bird habitats: forests, shrublands, grasslands, ponds and wetlands. Designated as an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society, the park hosts 345-bird species that live year-round or seasonally at Chatfield Reservoir.
Birding got a boost recently with The Big Year. This action-packed movie showed the story three master birders in a frenzied competition, attempting to count the most species they could spot all over the globe in a 365-day period. Perhaps you’ll get involved in this fascinating hobby?
Thank you Mom, Sally Green, for suggesting this article.
