Even though Christmas has come and gone, the annual Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count is set to take place this Saturday.
That means teams of dedicated bird counters will brace the cold temperatures and whatever weather may come, to count every single wild bird they see that day from sun up to sun down. Irene Grace, with the Little River chapter of the Audubon Society, says the count is a tradition that serves a purpose—it helps monitor which species of birds are either doing well, or declining—which in turn can tell us how the environment is doing.
She says they hope to see over 50 different types of birds, and the Christmas count really helps count the birds that make their home here year round.
The counters were travelling in cars or walking with binoculars, while keeping meticulous count, but they will have signs posted in the back windows saying what they are doing and who they are. This event isn’t just local—avid birders across the country are participating.
Anyone interested in joining and learning more about the United States bird life can visit audubon.org. There you can print out bird lists, view count totals and more. The Little River Audubon Society Christian County Kentucky can be liked on Facebook.