When does the count happen?
All Christmas Bird Counts are conducted between December 14 to January 5, inclusive dates, each season. Your local count will occur on one day between those dates. Participate in as many counts as you wish!
This years CBC date is:
December 12, 2019
Firelands Audubon
Christmas Bird Count
How does participation work?
There is a specific methodology to the CBC, and all participants must make arrangements to participate in advance with the circle compiler within an established circle, but anyone can participate.
Each count takes place in an established 15-mile wide diameter circle, and is organized by a count compiler. Count volunteers follow specified routes through a designated 15-mile (24-km) diameter circle, counting every bird they see or hear all day. It's not just a species tally—all birds are counted all day, giving an indication of the total number of birds in the circle that day.
If you are a beginning birder, you will be able to join a group that includes at least one experienced birdwatcher.
If your home is within the boundaries of a CBC circle, then you can stay at home and report the birds that visit your feeder on count day as long as you have made prior arrangement with the count compiler.
This full day of birding is a wonderful tradition, a great example of citizen science and a lot of fun to participate in.
if you are interested in joining our CBC please send us an email and we will get you the appropriate information.
The totals for the 2018 CBC ARE BELOW:
# IS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF THIS SPECIES OBSERVED
CW STANDS FOR COUNT WEEK BIRDS - BIRDS SEEN THE WEEK OF THE COUNT BUT NOT ON COUNT DAY.
Species # or cw
Snow Goose 1
Canada Goose 947
Tundra Swan 91
Gadwall 7
American Wigeon 1
American Black Duck 36
Mallard 1304
Canvasback 1
Common Goldeneye 181
Hooded Merganser 15
Common Merganser 45
Ring-necked Pheasant 1
Wild Turkey 73
Horned grebe 1
Double-crested Cormorant 5
Great Blue Heron (Blue form) 9
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
Bald Eagle 21
Red-tailed Hawk 30
American Coot 7
Ring-billed Gull 6274
Herring Gull 266
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
Great Black-backed Gull 18
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 186
Mourning Dove 123
Eastern Screech-Owl 8
Great Horned Owl 2
Belted Kingfisher 2
Red-headed Woodpecker 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 46
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 3
Downy Woodpecker 43
Hairy Woodpecker 6
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 6
Pileated Woodpecker 1
American Kestrel 6
Merlin 1
Northern Shrike 1
Blue Jay 143
American Crow 42
Horned Lark cw
Black-capped Chickadee 21
Tufted Titmouse 15
Red-breasted Nuthatch 8
White-breasted Nuthatch 38
Brown Creeper 1
Winter Wren 3
Carolina Wren 16
Golden-crowned Kinglet 7
Eastern Bluebird 14
American Robin 85
European Starling 879
Cedar Waxwing 65
Black-and-white Warbler 1
American Tree Sparrow 25
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 102
White-throated Sparrow 15
Song Sparrow 11
Swamp Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 62
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Common Grackle cw
Brown-headed Cowbird 20
House Finch 36
Purple Finch cw
American Goldfinch 26
House Sparrow 94