All eyes will be on the skies and along the horizons as participants gear up for the annual Mathews Christmas Bird Count, which is scheduled from dawn until dusk on Sunday in various sectors across Mathews and in the Ware Neck area of Gloucester.
Advertisement
The Kalamazoo count typically finds about 68 species and about 11,500 individual birds, of which the most common species in recent years has been crows, about 4,000 to 5,000 of them.
The annual Christmas Bird Count provides a snapshot of San Diego’s ecosystem by recording the presence and abundance of bird species at a scale that scientists could never evaluate alone. The information gathered during these counts helps scientists to study migration patterns of the birds.
Content Preview This content is exclusive for Optimum, Time Warner, Comcast, customers with access to News 12.
According to the NAS, each count takes place in an established 15-mile wide diameter circle and is organized by a count compiler. There are Christmas Bird Counts in all 50 states, in all Canadian provinces, several Central and South American countries, and several Pacific and Caribbean islands. The up to now mostly mild weather and the added “food and fuel” made for some record setting bird sightings for these two counts.
Numerous research papers have been written on the basis of the data collected during the Christmas Bird Counts. The first Vineyard count took place in 1960.
The count encompasses a 24-hour period, but volunteers typically count from sunrise to sunset, or as long as they are able, LeBlanc said.
“I like the opportunity to be with more experienced birders and spotting things I haven’t seen before”.
“Citizen science has really become important within the academic world”, said Coleman, who earned a PhD in herpetology before shifting his focus to birds.
“It’s a challenge and different every year”, she said.
Advertisement
“The Christmas Bird Count helps us recognize such trends, collect data and better understand the effects of climate change so we can prioritize local conservation efforts to match”. The data have been used to detect declines in populations of many bird species. “Seeing birds is a lifelong passion”. “You just get into it”.
