Prepare for the Christmas Bird Count with Rob Porter

Welcome to Episode 11 of the Birding Tools Podcast.

In this episode, I sit down with Rob Porter to talk about how to prepare for, and start your own, Christmas Bird Count project!

The Christmas Bird Count is an annual bird counting initiative that started in North America and now extends through Central America and into South America. The count has been ongoing for about 120 years! Incredibly, data collected through the CBC have been standardized and allow for substantial insights into how bird populations have changed over time.

This year, the Christmas Bird Count runs from 14 DECEMBER 2020 TO 4 JANUARY 2021.

You’ll hear from Rob about what the CBC is, how the data are used, and how you can get involved. Scroll down the show notes for links to the Christmas Bird Count sites on Audubon and Birds Canada!

Follow Rob on Instagram at @songbirdingpod or online at Songbirding.com!

Photo courtesy of Rob Porter

Here’s how the episode goes

[2:08] Rob discusses how he got started in the birding world, particularly through photography and using eBird as a tool to get to know what birds he was looking at. His unique ability to use acoustic technology and capture the audio of birds really sets him (and his podcast, Songbirding) apart!

[9:15] The Christmas Bird Count first started 120 years ago as part of one of the (now) longest-running citizen science projects. The standardized protocols allow for data to be collected within a specific area over various years.

[13:23] To prepare for the CBC, if you are in the United States, visit the Audubon Website, and if you are in Canada visit the Birds Canada Website. The Audubon website’s Map of Active Circles shows where CBC circles are active throughout North, Central, and South America, and the contact person for those locations. Contact the coordinator for the local CBCs in your area.

[18:20] You can also set up your own CBC area if there isn’t one near you! You simply visit the Audubon or Birds Canada site and click the button to Start Your Own Christmas Bird Count Circle. Just make sure there isn’t already an active circle in that area, since you can start a circle that has gone defunct.

[27:00] The data collected during the Christmas Bird Count is invaluable for determining species presence over time, as well as abundance and other measurements. Many papers have been published based on CBC data!

[32:00] Rob gives great insights into the kinds of habitats and birds you’ll experience within different CBC circles.

Click here to listen!

You can also read more about getting started on our birding endeavors on our Get Started page!

P.S., If you need a hand with bird ID, head over to download our free downloadable guide here!

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Links Mentioned in this Podcast

The links mentioned in this episode are specific to the Global Big Day and Global Birding Weekend, which are both worldwide events. If you aren’t finding the resources you need to participate in these events, please reach out!