ABOUT CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS
How They Started
The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) was started in 1900 by Frank Chapman along with 26 other conservationists. The count was intended as a way of promoting conservation by counting, rather than hunting, birds on Christmas Day of 1900.
Now in its second century, it has evolved into far more than just another holiday tradition. The CBC, to quote CBC Director Geoff LeBaron, is “increasingly accepted by ornithologists and conservationists alike as the best, if not only, tool available for assessing the long-term trends in the early winter bird populations of North America".
With the cumulative historical CBC data now on-line, there are many thousands of individual counts from December 25, 1900 to the present available for perusal and scientific research. You can read more about the history and research uses of the CBC HERE.
The Kirtland Bird Club has an annual count usually on the Saturday before Christmas. Read more about the upcoming 2020 count HERE, the 2019 count HERE, and records from past Kirtland Bird Club counts HERE.
The Basics
- Circle: A count must be entirely within a 15-mile (24 kilometer) diameter circle. The same center point should be used each year. The Cleveland Count's center point is a half mile west of Richmond and Chardon Roads, along Chardon Road.
- Count Period: Counts are conducted within the official count period, 14 December thru 5 January. The Cleveland CBC is typically the Saturday before Christmas.
- Count Day: The count must be conducted within one 24-hour calendar day.
More Info
- Click HERE
- Click HERE to read more about Christmas Bird Counts on the National Aububon Society website.