CATALINA ISLAND – Join the Catalina Island Conservancy – the Trailhead, staff, and other naturalists – from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 17 to count and record as many birds and species of birds as possible to contribute to the Audubon Christmas Bird Count during a trip into the wildlands of Catalina Island. This event is free to attend.
The Christmas Bird Count is a long-standing program of the National Audubon Society in which thousands of volunteers across the U.S., Canada, and other countries in the Western Hemisphere go birding over 24 hours to contribute to an early-winter bird census. The data for these bird counts have been used in hundreds of analyses, peer-reviewed publications and government reports over the decades.
No birding experience is required to participate. Less experienced birders will be grouped with those who have spent more time birding, so everyone will have the guidance needed to contribute. Teams will write down their bird sightings on the provided data sheets. If you can photograph the birds, that would also be helpful for those who can’t identify species.
During this time of year, besides Catalina’s assortment of resident species, birds that can be seen on the Island include common winter migrant species such as the White-crowned Sparrow or the less common Cackling Goose. Participants may even be able to help spot species just newly being documented as they expand their global range, such as the Swinhoe’s White-eye.
“The Audubon Christmas Bird Count has been going strong as an annual event more than 100 years since 1900,” said Alexandra Brainerd, Education Programs Coordinator at Catalina Island Conservancy, in an email to the Log. “Catalina Island has participated for many years including from 1988-2006, and annually since 2021.”
This event begins at the Trailhead visitor center at 6:30 a.m. Participants will be split into groups to cover as much of Catalina that falls in the officially designated birding circle as they can. Groups will return to Avalon at 1 p.m. for lunch provided by the conservancy and to discuss birds seen throughout the day.
Participants must come prepared for a full day outside in the field, standing and walking. Sturdy, close-toed shoes, sun protection and a refillable water bottle are required. Bring binoculars and a notebook if possible. Expect some walking on uneven terrain. Lunch, extra binoculars and water refills will be provided.
“The Audubon Christmas Bird Count encourages locals to learn more about their surrounding environment and add to more than a century of community science,” said Brainerd. “By capturing data of birds moving south, the community can add to an incredibly important wildlife data set that helps assess the health of bird populations from a vital long-term perspective.”
Data has been gathered for more than a century and has also been contributed to from across the Americas, according to Boudevin. The hard work for the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is primarily undertaken by volunteers and birding enthusiasts, making it a community science effort that benefits the larger scientific community.
“Bird health, in particular, has been known to act as a gauge for biodiversity,” said Brainerd. “By community members tracking trends and population changes during the [CBC], scientists [can] use the data, in combination with other surveys, to see larger patterns that are indications of environmental health. This data informs strategies to protect not only birds and their habitats but also help identify larger issues that could affect all of us.
The CBC data has been used in reports by the Environmental Protection Agency, the North American Bird Conservation Initiative of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and more. The data has helped create models indicating that more than 300 species will lose more than 50 percent of their current range within 60 years.
The Trailhead is Catalina Island Conservancy’s flagship facility at 708 Crescent Avenue in Avalon. It is the place to begin any Catalina adventure, with knowledgeable Conservancy team members available to answer questions about the Island, activities, retail space, a restaurant, and a native plant garden. It is also a great meeting spot for events like the Christmas Bird Count.
The National Audubon Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of birds and their habitats. It was founded in 1905 and named after John James Audubon, a renowned ornithologist, naturalist and painter known for his extensive studies and illustrations of North American birds. The mission of the National Audubon Society is to protect birds and the places they need today and tomorrow.
For more information, please visit https://catalinaconservancy.org/event/audubon-christmas-bird-count/.
