How to join the Christmas Bird Count and what first-timers need to know

There is most likely a National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count nearby if you are anywhere between December 14 and January 5. Devoted birdwatchers go to multiple locations, either by car or airplane, in hopes of catching glimpses of elusive birds.

About 47 groups will join the campaign in Oregon alone. Get in touch with your local chapter’s Christmas Bird Count organizer. For example, Dec. 14 counts are shown at Tillamook Bay, Florence, Grants Pass, and Port Orford. For more information, visit BirdAlliance.org. The Portland count is scheduled for January 4.

While experience is not required, volunteers are sought to assist with information gathering. Here are some suggestions to assist newcomers experience the thrill of walking through fields, along beaches, and on mountain routes while also supporting an important community research project:

• 
  Read about

  Audubon s Christmas Bird Count

  (CBC) and contact an

  Audubon chapter

  area leader organizing a count in advance to volunteer as a feeder watcher, if you live within a designated count circle and agree to tally the birds seen on CBC day, or become a field observer alongside experience birders, said Dawn Villaescusa of

  Seven Capes Bird Alliance

  in Lincoln City.
  

• 
  Practice

  finding birds by listening

  and looking at exposed perches snags, power lines, fence posts, tree tops and scanning fields, mudflats, lakes, beaches, and other open areas

  using binoculars

  . If possible, scout your sector in advance and look on Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology s

  eBird

  , a free, online platform for recording bird observations and tracking sightings, to see what s been seen in the area.
  

• 
  Identify birds with the help of Audubon s

  Guide to North American Birds

  or Cornell Lab of Ornithology s

  Merlin Bird ID app

  , powered by

  eBird

  . Brush up on resident birds that stay here year-round, and get a sense of what you might see on the count, said Joe Liebezeit of the Bird Alliance of Oregon, who is in charge of Portland s annual Christmas Bird Count.
  

• 
  Check the weather and dress in layers to be comfortable all day. Be prepared for wind and rain, and wear real rain gear or you ll be soaked, said Villaescusa.

  Rite in the Rain

  and other weatherproof notebooks can help keep data dry.
  

• 
  Pack snacks and carry water. It s a long day, said Villaescusa, and some area leads don t want to stop for lunch.
  
• 
  You may be dirty at the end of the day. Bring clean, dry clothes and shoes to change into for the get together. The camaraderie is totally worth attending the post-count party, said Villaescusa, whose group puts on a breakfast and a count-down chili and beer dinner. It s fun getting together and feeling you re adding value to the information that s out there.
  
• 
  Realize that while the

  social aspects of the annual count

  are the glue that holds the whole tradition together and while there are times to talk, you ll be expected to be quiet while listening for birds. Unlike guided bird walks designed for beginners, where people will drop back and chat about their sister s brother s cousin or recipes, and may not even see a bird, you can t do that on bird count day, said Villaescusa.
  

• 
  Upload your photos and see photos posted from other participates at the

  CBC Live tracker

  at

  gis.audubon.org/cbclive

  . Photographing

  birds is challenging

  as they move in a lake, into a tree, across a field.

  Field biologist and photographer Frank Lospalluto

  said: Know your camera, feel confident using it, and make sure the battery is charged and the memory card has space. Many cameras today work exceptionally well on auto.
  

• 
  Sign up at

  act.audubon.org/a/community-science-signup

  to see the results in Audubon s American Birds newsletter and learn about other volunteer opportunities such as Climate Watch and

  The Great Backyard Bird Count

  .
  

• 
  Don t be intimidated by

  people who have more experience

  than you do, said Liebezeit. This is about being outdoors, meeting new friends, learning and having fun.
  

Janet Eastman writes on trends and design. You can follow her on X@janeteastman and contact her at 503-294-4072 and [email protected].

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