Audubon Christmas Counts

Maine Audubon needs birders to cover different pieces of our 176-square-mile Christmas Count circle, checking every field and patch of woods for birds. This is a fun, important annual survey, with time in the field that brings together birders of all abilities.

History

On Christmas Day 1900, the group initiated an alternative to the traditional holiday 'side hunt,' in which teams competed to see who could shoot the most birds. Instead of hunting, the group counted the birds they saw, thus founding one of the most significant citizen-based conservation efforts and a century-old institution.

Today, almost 55,000 volunteers from all 50 states, every Canadian province, parts of Central and South America, Bermuda, the West Indies, and Pacific islands will count and record every individual bird and bird species seen during one 24-hour calendar day.

About 1,800 individual counts will be held during a two-and-a-half week period. Each group has a designated circle 15 miles in diameter - about 177 square miles - where they try to cover as much ground as possible within a day.

Purpose

Apart from its attraction as a social, sporting, and competitive event, CBC reveals scientific information on the winter distributions of various bird species as well as the over-all health of the environment.

CBC is the longest running ornithological database and continues to grow in importance as a monitor of the status of resident and migratory birds across the western hemisphere.

The data, 100% volunteer generated, has become a crucial part of the U. S. Government's natural history monitoring database.

When / Where

December 2007-January 2008

Augusta: Saturday, December 15
Contact Jay Adams at jay@oldfortwestern.org

Bangor/Bucksport: Saturday, December 29

Contact Fields Pond Audubon Center at (207) 989-2591

Biddeford/Kennebunkport: Saturday, December 29

Contact Marie Jordan at (207) 799-1408

Blue Hill: Sunday, December 16

Contact Leslie Clapp at (207) 664-4400

Calais:  Saturday, December 29

Contact Fred Gralenski at (207) 726-5837 or gralf@midmaine.com

Deer Isle: Saturday, December 29

Contact Ken Crowell at (207) 348-6065 or Chip Moseley at (207) 359-2558

Eastport: Monday, December 24 and Tuesday 25
Contact Ralf Multhopp at (207) 733-4335 or multhopprj@midmaine.com or

Freeport/Brunswick: Saturday, December 29

Contact Judy Camuso at judy.camuso@maine.gov

Isles of Shoals: Sunday, December 16

Contact E.J. Raynor at (203) 610-3920 or

edward.raynor@maine.edu

Lower Kennebec/Sheepscot: Saturday, December 15

Contact Don Hudson at dhudson@chewonki.org

Mount Desert Island: Saturday, December 15

Contact Michael Good at (207) 288-8128 or               info@downeastnaturetours.com

Orono/Old Town: Saturday, December 15

Contact Judy Markowsky at (207) 989-2591 or             jmarkowsky@maineaudubon.org

Pemaquid/Damariscotta: Saturday, December 22

Contact Joe Gray at (207) 563-3578

Greater Portland: Saturday, December 15

Contact Bill Hancock at (207) 781-2330 or

bhancock@maineaudubon.org

Rangeley: Sunday, December 16

Contact Jennifer Perry at (603) 463-3085 or

jperry@exeternh.org

Thomaston-Rockland: Saturday, December 15

Contact Don Reimer at (207) 273-3146

Schoodic Point: Tuesday, January 1

Contact William Townsend at (207) 288-5654 or

townsend10@verizon.net

Waterville: Sunday, December 16

Contact Bets Brown at (207) 445-4967

York County: Monday, December 17

Contact Don Tucker at (207) 676-4429

More about Audubon Counts