Tens of thousands of volunteers throughout the Americas take part in an adventure that has become a family tradition among generations. Families and students, birders and scientists, armed with binoculars, bird guides and checklists go out on an annual mission — often before dawn. For over one hundred years, the desire to both make a difference and to experience the beauty of nature has driven dedicated people to leave the comfort of a warm house during the Holiday season.

This year’s count marks the 44th year of the Evanston Christmas Bird Count and the 125th anniversary of the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) held throughout the Americas. The CBC began over a century ago when 27 hunter/conservationists, led by ornithologist Frank Chapman, changed the course of ornithological history. On Christmas Day 1900, the small group of conservationists initiated an alternative activity to the “side hunt,” a holiday practice typical of the time period.

This “side hunt” was an activity in which teams competed to see who could shoot the most birds and small mammals. Instead of this hunt, the group, made up mostly of hunters, would put down their firearms for a day and identify, count, and record the birds that they saw. This started the tradition of what now is considered to be the most significant citizen-based conservation effort — and a more than century-old institution.

The data collected by observers over the past century allow researchers, conservation biologists, and other interested individuals to study the long-term health and status of bird populations across North America. When combined with other surveys such as the Breeding Bird Survey, it provides a picture of how the continent’s bird populations have changed over the past hundred years.

Growing in popularity since its inception, the count serves as an important scietific function as well. Birds are one of the first groups of animals to be affected by environmental threats like climate change, pollution and habitat destruction.

The CBC data provides indispensable information, not only on long-term health of bird populations, but also the status of the environment that birds share with all living things. Over the years, Audubon CBC data have been used in more than 300 peer-reviewed articles. 

From feeder-watchers and field observers to count compilers and regional editors, everyone who takes part in the Christmas Bird Count does it for love of birds and the excitement of friendly competition, and with the knowledge that their efforts provide valuable data for science and bird conservation.

During last year’s count, more than 40 million birds were tallied by over 79,000 volunteers participating in 2630 different count circles taking place throughout the Americas, and beyond, from Dec. 14, 2023, to Jan. 5, 2024.

Bird numbers down for the last 35 years

The number of birds tallied was down again, more than 2.5 million fewer than the year before.

The total number of birds recorded on the annual count has been dropping for the last 35 years. With two-thirds of North American bird species at increased risk of extinction by the end of this century, Audubon CBC data is more important than ever for effective conservation. 

Count event is a

24-hour census

Each count group completes a census of the birds found during one 24-hour period between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5 in a designated circle 15 miles in diameter-about 177 square miles. Participants sit, walk, fly airplanes, boat, cross-country ski, snowmobile, ride horses, and drive all manner of vehicles to tally birds on count day. Eighteen CBC counts were held in Wyoming last year — Albany County, Bates Hole, Buffalo, Casper, Cheyenne, Cody, Dubois, Evanston WY/UT, Goshen Hole, Green River, Guernsey-Fort Laramie, Jackson Hole, Kane, Lander, Pinedale, Riverton, Sheridan, Story-Bighorn.

There were 116 different species sighted in Wyoming last year. Utah enjoyed 26 counts, with 193 different species documented. A total of 2787 birds, 51 species, were tallied in the Evanston 2023 CBC.

Check out the CBC

website:  

Historical count results from 1900 to the present are available through Audubon’s website: www.audubon.org/bird/cbc where this year’s count results will be available in real-time. Explore last year’s tallies, or visit all the counts from the past. See if and how the state of your local birds has changed during the last 25, 50 or even 100 years.

Evanston 2023/2024 Christmas Bird Count species tally:

Total individuals: 2787 Total Species: 51

Canada Goose 345, Gadwall 18, American Wigeon 4, Mallard 273, Northern Shoveler 6, Northern Pintail 5, Green-winged Teal 71, Canvasback 2, Redhead 4, Ring-neck Duck 4, Common Goldeneye 70, Barrow’s Goldeneye 4, Common Merganser 4, unknown duck species 20, Greater Sage-Grouse 202, Great Blue Heron 1, Golden Eagle 6, Northern Harrier 45, Sharp-shinned Hawk 3, Cooper’s Hawk 1, Bald eagle 24, Red-tailed Hawk 3, Rough-legged Hawk 7, Prairie Falcon 1, Wilson’s Snipe 2, Rock Pigeon 40, Eurasian Collared Dove 65, Great Horned Owl 3, Short-eared Owl 1, Belted Kingfisher 2, Downy Woodpecker 2, Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 8, American Kestrel 1, Prairie Falcon 1, Northern Shrike 1, Blue Jay,  Black-billed Magpie 225, American Crow 13, Common Raven 135, Black-capped Chickadee 8, Mountain Chickadee 2, Red-breasted Nuthatch 2, American Robin 15, European Starling 685, Bohemian Waxwing 42, American Tree Sparrow 41, Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 2, Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 15, unknown sparrow species 24, Red-winged Blackbird 7, Black Rosy-Finch 15, House Finch 38, Cassin’s Finch 3, Pine Sisken 4, Lesser Goldfinch 5, American Goldfinch 25, and House Sparrow 232.

Help needed —

Evanston count Dec. 14

Those interested in participating in the Evanston count are asked to meet at the old Down Home Eatery parking lot, 8 miles north of Evanston at the intersection of Hwy. 89 and County Road 103, at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14. Horses, snowmobiles, cross-country skis, and ATVs are welcome. For more information about the count, contact Tim Gorman at 307-679-0656.