115 Years and Counting, Volunteers Get Ready for the Audubon Christmas Bird Count

CONTACT: Staci Stevens, Audubon NM, c: 202-294-3101, sstevens@audubon.org

 2014 New Mexico CBC schedule including dates, locations and local leaders.

The National Audubon Society invites birdwatchers to participate in the longest-running citizen science survey in the world, the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC). Between December 14, 2014 and January 5, 2015 more than 70,000 volunteers including hundreds of New Mexican bird enthusiasts will rise before dawn and brave inclement weather to help scientists assess and guide significant conservation efforts at a scale they could not accomplish alone.

For many people in New Mexico, the CBC has become a holiday tradition in which generations of bird lovers can engage in hands-on science. “The most exciting part of participating in the CBC is knowing that our local data is contributing to understanding what is happening with bird populations and climate over an extended period of time,” said Wyatt Egelhoff, the leader of the Santa Fe CBC who at the age of 18 is an accomplished birder and the youngest complier in the state. “I like knowing that I am playing a role in a larger effort that will help shape the conservation policies of the future.”

Last year's CBCs in New Mexico tallied 224 species statewide, and a new all-time high of 525,000 individual birds. Albuquerque had the most species with 120; other notable high totals included Caballo, 116; Bosque del Apache, 108; Las Cruces, 107; Valle de Oro, 106; and Ladder Ranch, 100. The biggest contributors to the individual bird totals were Bosque del Apache with 146,000, Roswell with 98,000, and Valle de Oro with 54,000 birds counted. Review a summary last year’s NM CBC results.

This past fall, Audubon scientists released a groundbreaking study based in part on 30 years of Audubon Christmas Bird Count data. The study revealed that 314 of 588 bird species analyzed could lose more than 50 percent of their current ranges by 2080 if climate change continues on its current trajectory, and many could face extinction. Audubon scientists have also shown that more than 60 percent of widespread North American winter birds are already spending the winter farther north than they did in the 1960s.

In New Mexico, species suffering under the warming climate like the Black Rosy-Finch that spends winters in the Sandia Crest area are regularly monitored during the CBC. Data compiled across New Mexico will record every individual bird and bird species seen in a specified area, contributing to a vast citizen science network that is helping pinpoint priority areas for conservation.

“A changing climate will affect the birds we love to see in our urban and rural backyards, but we can all help protect these treasured resources by becoming engaged in citizen science and having conversations in our local communities about how we can limit our carbon footprint, and create bird friendly communities,” said Carol Beidleman, Director of Bird Conservation at Audubon New Mexico.

Birders of all ages and ability levels are welcome to contribute to this fun winter tradition and nationwide citizen science project, which provides ornithologists with a crucial snapshot of our native bird populations during the winter months. Each individual count is performed in a count circle with a diameter of 15 miles. At least ten volunteers, including a compiler to coordinate the process, count in each circle. The volunteers break up into small parties and follow assigned routes, counting every bird they see. Newcomers are teamed up with expert birders who can identify all the birds, but the novice adds another set of ears and eyes.  

Click here for locations and leaders of local CBC’s.  

The Audubon Christmas Bird Count is a citizen science project organized by the National Audubon Society. There is no fee to participate and the quarterly report, American Birds, will be available online. Audubon Christmas Bird Count information is also available online in Spanish.

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Audubon New Mexico:As the state office of the National Audubon Society, Audubon New Mexico’s mission is 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.