Wild New Jersey - Counting Crows at Christmas

Counting Crows at Christmas

Lynda Hester D'Orio
December 4, 1998

For almost a century, folks who like wildlife have been doing something that takes patience, but reaps huge rewards. Every year at Christmas time, through the efforts of Audubon chapters, birders take a count of local bird populations and compile the data of the species sighted. In Audubon circles, it's a tradition commonly called the "Christmas Bird Count".

It's the longest running wildlife survey, taken by over 45,000 volunteer participants and it's quite a task to compile. It starts at midnight and runs for 24 hours. Within this time frame, volunteers count the bird species they see within well-defined geographic areas.

It all started in 1900. Like so many causes, it began as a reaction to a behavior that wildlife supporters did not like and wanted to protest. Birds were slaughtered at an annual holiday event called the "side hunt".

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Ornithologist Frank Chapman was disturbed by this occurrence and wanted to bring attention to it. The hunt was not for food - it was a contest to shoot and kill the most birds and other small animals. So Chapman decided that he and some friends could start another tradition - to count the birds instead of hunt them.

The count is done in early winter within a two week time period. People who sign up form teams that cover a select 15-mile area for a 24-hour period. Birdwatchers document the species they spot or even hear and note them on a form. These forms are then tabulated and a regional and national census are published every year. Great effort is taken to formulate accurate reports.

Some birds are migratory, some birds could be misidentified - all of these factors are taken into account. As a result, we all benefit from this survey, we can not only have a more accurate picture of the bird population, we can keep tabs on the health of many individual species and a general take on the condition of our environment.

If you would like to find out more information on Audubon membership or how to participate in the Christmas count, look up your local chapter on the web at http://www.nj.com/audubon/