MAS Christmas Bird Count (CBC) - West Marion County

Join us for National Audubon's 126th Christmas Bird Count!

This is a very different event from our usual birding walks and trips, as we won't be in one central group birding together, but rather several groups covering as broad an area as possible. For the Christmas Bird Count, or CBC, we break into teams and cover a section of a 15-mile circle, taking a census of every bird we can find.

It's a fun opportunity to see lots of birds, meet new people, and contribute to science. The data we collect is analyzed by Cornell to determine changes in bird populations and territories over time.

If you would like to participate, please sign up here to indicate your interest by the end of October. We will finalize the teams to cover each sector of our circle by the end of November.

You can learn more about the history of the Christmas Bird Count by checking out this link:
https://www.audubon.org/community-science/christmas-bird-count/history-of-christmas-bird-count

This is a beginner-to-intermediate birding level event. We should have a nice array of easy-to-spot birds, as well as some more challenging sightings, because this location has a variety of habitats that offer a good mix of species. As a mid-level event, expect to walk 1 to 2 miles at most on predominantly even trails but with the potential of sand, dirt, or grass sections. As always, please refer to the details in this MeetUp description above for the exact date, time, and location for this event.

Photo credit: Maxfield Weakley - Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula) - https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/647385905