Join the 124th Christmas Bird Count!

Cedar waxwing feasts on berries in winter. Photo by Monica Hall

Cedar waxwing feasts on berries in winter. Photo by Monica Hall

Southern Wisconsin is home to thousands of bird-lovers, just like you. The annual Christmas Bird Count is one of the best ways to meet other enthusiastic bird-watchers and help collect important data about birds in south-central Wisconsin at the same time!

The Christmas Bird Count, held annually throughout North America between mid-December and early-January, works to take a snapshot of which bird species are found where during the winter season. Bird watchers count the number and individuals of species over a 24 hour period, and turn all of those data into National Audubon. This project is important for estimating distributions and populations, and find oddities in nature (e.g., what is that clay-colored sparrow doing in Wisconsin in December?). It is considered to be the longest-running formal citizen science project in the nation, now in it’s 124th year!

Wisconsin has many Christmas Bird Counts happening, so you can join one or many near you and your favorite birding grounds — see the full list here. You can use the map below to click on the bird icon to find the date and contact information for a count near you.

Counts in the Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance (formerly Madison Audubon) chapter area include:

  • Dec. 18: Pardeeville, open to more volunteers, contact: Brian Doverspike, briandoverspike@hotmail.com, 608-697-7599

  • Dec. 14: Waterloo, open to more volunteers in the Faville Grove Sanctuary section, sign up here. Coordinated by Karen Etter Hale.

  • Dec. 15 or 18 (TBD): Randolph, open to more volunteers, contact: Jon Roti Roti, roti2russo@charter.net, 920-203-5308

  • Dec. 16: Madison, open to more volunteers, sign up here. Coordinated by Brenna Marsicek

  • Dec. 16: Richland Center, open to more volunteers, contact: Eric Volden, ericvolden@charter.net, 608-553-2617

  • Dec. 19: Columbus, open to more volunteers, Louise Venne, lsvenne@gmail.com, 678-622-5559

  • Dec. 19: Fair Meadows (not an official circle but data will be submitted to eBird regardless), open to volunteers, sign up here. Coordinated by Penny Shackelford

  • Dec. 27: Baraboo, open to more volunteers, contact: Scott and Ann Swengel (aswengel@jvlnet.com)

  • Dec. 30: Poynette, open to more volunteers, sign up here. Coordinated by Mark Martin and Sue Foote-Martin, goosep@madisonaudubon.org, 608-333-9645

  • Dec. 31: Mount Horeb, open to more volunteers, contact: Kerry Beheler, kerry.beheler@gmail.com

  • Jan. 1: Cooksville, full on volunteers, coordinated by Quentin Yoerger

 

Brenna Marsicek - Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance director of communications & Madison-area CBC coordinator
   Email: bmarsicek@swibirds.org
   Phone: 608-255-2473

 

Banner photo by Carolyn Byers