The tradition that started 110 years ago will continue later this week--the Christmas Bird Count.  Before the turn of the last century, in the days before bag limits, it was a tradition to compete in a "side hunt" on Christmas day--teams would try to shoot more birds and mammals than the opposing team.  Concern was growing about bird populations, and the early conservation movement was forming.  Frank Chapman, an ornithologist involved with the newly formed Audubon Society, proposed an alternative bird census.  On Christmas Day in 1900, twenty-seven participants took part in the first Christmas Bird Count in twenty-five counts, mostly in the Northeastern U.S., with 90 species being recorded all together.  The count, now known officially as the Audubon Christmas Bird Count, has become a tradition , continuing and growing over the years.  The count period has been extended over a period from December 14 to January 5.  Many dedicated counters participate in several counts each year.  Others may have never birded before, and are drawn into birding through this experience.  There are now tens of thousands of volunteers who participate in thousands of counts each year, and counts take place throughout the western hemisphere.  When we were in Ecuador last summer, our guide told us about the Mindo Christmas Bird Count, where local children covered the part of the count circle in town on foot and by bicycle.  Their portion of the circle found over 100 species.  Some of these children are aspiring bird guides who will have gained valuable experience identifying birds, in addition to learning the value of conservation by counting birds.

Christmas Bird Counts provide a long-term data set that is valuable in tracking trends in bird populations.  While some counts have been taking place for over 100 years, new counts are forming every year.  Any place you might find yourself for the holidays is likely to have a Christmas Bird Count nearby.  For dates and contactd information on counts taking place throughout Iowa, visit the Iowa Ornithologists' Union web site at http://www.iowabirds.org/birds/CBC.asp.  For more information on counts throughout North America, visit the Christmas Bird Count web site at http://birds.audubon.org/get-involved-christmas-bird-count.  There is a $5 fee for taking part in Christmas Bird Counts to cover the costs of data compilation.  Data are posted to an Audubon Society web site open to the public http://birds.audubon.org/christmas-bird-count. 

 For some of us the holidays aren't complete without participating in at least one Christmas Bird Count.  Although conditions can be difficult, it is fun to challenge yourself and others to see how many species you can find.  Some people still treat this as a competition to find as many species as possible, or to find the most unusual species.  It is remarkable how many species can be found with enough people out there looking, and the unusual species that turn up in count circles.  If you've never done it before, give it a try this year!