Volunteers sought for Sunriver Audubon bird count

The Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory is pleased to announce they will be hosting a new Audubon Christmas Bird Count Circle for the 115 th Audubon Christmas Bird Count.

Between December 14, 2014 and January 5, 2015, hawk-eyed volunteers across the country will brave various weather conditions to count birds during the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC).

On Saturday, January 3, 2015, birders and nature enthusiasts in Sunriver will take part in this tradition, many rising before dawn to participate in the longest running wildlife census on the planet.

Volunteers are needed to participate in field walks and also to count the birds at your own backyard feeder.

The new 15-mile diameter count circle includes all of Sunriver and is bounded by Route 372 on the north, Sheridan Mountain on the west, the southern boundary of LaPine State Park to the south, and Route 97on the east. Elevations range from 4200 feet to 6890 feet within the count circle. The variety of habitats in the circle are home to an interesting diversity of bird species. To learn more about how you can participate, call Compiler James Little at (541) 593-4442 or email to james@sunrivernaturecenter.org.

Field participants will meet at 7 am on January 3 rd at the Pozzi Building located at the Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory to pick up Count forms and directions. Territories will be arranged at that time. Those new to birding will be paired with experienced birders.

Each year, the Audubon Christmas Bird Count mobilizes over 70,000 volunteer bird counters in more than 2,400 locations across the Western Hemisphere.

The Audubon Christmas Bird Count utilizes the power of volunteers to track the health of bird populations at a scale that professional scientists could never accomplish alone. Data compiled in Sunriver will record every individual bird and bird species seen in a specified area, contributing to a vast citizen science network that continues a tradition stretching back more than 100 years.

“This is not just about counting birds,” says Gary Langham, Audubon’s Chief Scientist. “Data from the Audubon Christmas Bird Count are at the heart of hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific studies and inform decisions made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of the Interior, and the EPA. Because birds are early indicators of environmental threats to habitats we share, this is a vital survey of North America and, increasingly, the Western Hemisphere.”

The Audubon Christmas Bird Count began in 1900 when Dr. Frank Chapman, founder of Bird-Lore—which evolved into Audubon Magazine,– suggested an alternative to the holiday “side hunt” where teams competed to see who could shoot the most birds. The annual Christmas Bird Count is a Citizen Science project organized by the National Audubon Society. There is no fee to participate and the annual published report, American Birds, is available online.

The nearby Bend Audubon Count is normally held on the first Saturday of the count period while the Sunriver Audubon Count is set up for the third Saturday in the count period. This provided an opportunity for birders from Bend to participate as well. For more information, call SNCO Executive Director James Little at (541) 593-4442.