VERMONT — This holiday season marks the 118th annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count, a favorite tradition among Vermont’s birding community. The counts are conducted from Dec. 14 to Jan. 5 each year.
Even novice birdwatchers can participate because every event is led by an experienced birder. Organizers and participants include birders and biologists from Audubon Vermont, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, and many other groups.
In Addison County, bird counts will be held in three areas this coming weekend. The Audubon Society marks out circles 15-miles in diameter on maps and counts in these circles. One circle has Mt. Abraham at its center, and the bird count in this area will take place on Saturday, Dec. 16. For more information contact Randy or Cathy Durand at 453-4370 or [email protected].
Also on Saturday, Dec. 16, birders will count in the Ferrisburgh circle; contact Mike Winslow for details at 877-6586 or [email protected].
The Middlebury circle bird count will take place this Sunday, Dec. 17. Contact Jim or Kris Andrews for details on this bird count on 352-4734 or [email protected].
There are two ways to participate: 1. as a field observer spending an entire day scouring a territory for birds, or 2. if you live inside a circle, you can be a feeder-watcher, reporting the birds you see in your backyard. Not only is this event a great excuse to get out and bird for a purpose, it is also one of the great birding social events of the year giving you an opportunity to meet and interact with birders in your area.
“The Christmas Bird Count is a great way to join with friends and family to be part of an historic national bird monitoring project that helps provide a snapshot of where birds are wintering from year to year,” said John Buck, wildlife biologist for Vermont Fish & Wildlife. “Participating in the count can be especially rewarding during years when there are irruptions, or mass migrations of an unusual species to Vermont, such as redpolls or snowy owls.” 
“The Christmas Bird Count is one of the longest-running citizen science projects in the country and possibly in the world,” said Mark LaBarr, conservation program manager for Audubon Vermont. “Not only does it provide important data for scientists, but it’s also a great time for folks who participate.”
The Christmas Bird Count originated in 1900 with ornithologist Frank Chapman, an officer in the Audubon Society, who updated what had been a traditional Christmas morning bird hunt to include a census of the wintering locations of various bird species. The count started with just 27 observers and has grown into one of the largest birding events in the world, with tens of thousands of people participating every year.
“This is an enjoyable way to spend a winter day and it’s also a great opportunity to see different birds and learn more about them,” said Buck. “It’s also a great opportunity to enjoy the company of fellow birders, and for birders of all levels to learn something new.”
People who are traveling out of Vermont for the holidays may be able to join a local Christmas Bird Count wherever they are by checking audubon.org/content/join-christmas-bird-count.