Christmas Bird Count Is Saturday, December 18

Bird counting reaches its apex during the Christmas holidays as the annual Christmas Bird Count sponsored by the National Audubon Society takes place between December 14 and January 5.

Locally, Saturday, December 18, is Christmas Count Day at The Audubon Center at Bent of the River, one of the sites participating in this 105-year-old birding tradition.

Birders of all skill levels are invited to join other volunteers in the annual event known in this area as the Woodbury-Roxbury Count. A large circle with the Newtown flagpole at the center is divided into 15 territories, each with its own captain. The day usually begins with predawn “owling,” but participants can spend as much or as little of the day in the field as they prefer.

Count participants may sign up and get in touch with an area captain by calling the Bent at 264-5098, or the compilers, Ed Hagen at 263-8618 or Chris Wood at 263-3467. A “Compilation” Potluck Dinner will be held at the Audubon Center in Southbury beginning at 6 pm.

The Christmas Bird Count is the oldest and largest wildlife survey in the world. More than 55,000 volunteers throughout the Western Hemisphere are scheduled to participate in 2,000 individual counts during this year’s event.

An all-volunteer effort, the Audubon Christmas Bird Count dates back to 1900 when counting birds was offered by ornithologist Frank Chapman as an alternative to the standard tradition of shooting them. The annual Christmas Bird Count has provided important information to Audubon and other wildlife organizations in prioritizing bird conservation activities.

 The Audubon Center grounds are open to the public daily from dawn to dusk. Bent of the River is on East Flat Hill Road in South Britain about a half mile from Connecticut Route 172 off of I-84 (Exit 14). Access is from East Flat Hill Road, and trail maps are available at the Welcome Kiosk in the Visitors Parking Lot. Call 264-5098 for program schedules or other information about the center.