Public invited to annual Christmas Bird Count events across Utah
Dec 4, 2024, 12:41 PM
A Juniper titmouse spotted during the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count. (Utah Division of Wildlife Resources)
(Utah Division of Wildlife Resources)
RANDLETT, Uintah County — The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is inviting Utahns to participate in the Audubon Christmas Bird Count this winter.
The Audubon Christmas Bird Count is an annual nationwide event.
The National Audubon Society, a nonprofit dedicated to bird conservation, created the count 125 years ago.
According to Audubon, the count helps “assess the health of bird populations” and guides “conservation action.”
“Recent studies have shown that over 3 billion birds have been lost in North America in the last 50 years, which is why collecting this data is so important,” DWR Regional Conservation Outreach Manager Tonya Kieffer-Selby said in a press release.
The DWR will host two events for the annual count this year. One is in northeastern Utah and the other is in central Utah.
Thirty other events not organized by the DWR take place in Utah also take place this winter. Find them on Audubon’s website.
Christmas Bird Count in northeastern Utah
The DWR’s bird count in northeastern Utah takes place on Dec. 14 at 8 a.m.
Participants should meet at the Ouray National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center parking lot in Randlett, Utah.
The DWR encouraged volunteers to bring binoculars if they have a pair.
The DWR also said that anyone planning to stay for the whole day should “pack a lunch, bring water and dress warmly.”
The event is free but the DWR asked volunteers to register ahead of time.
Christmas Bird Count in central Utah
The DWR will hold another event on Dec. 14 in Provo, Utah along the Provo River Bottoms and Paul Ream Park.
The event starts at 8 a.m.
The DWR said to wear boots and dress warmly because there might be snow at the time of the count.
Volunteers can RSVP by contacting DWR Wildlife Biologist Shawn Pladas via email (shawnapladas@utah.gov) or by calling 385-321-3289.
How the count works
“Each count takes place in an established 15-mile diameter circle,” according to Audubon’s website.
Volunteers get a route to hike or drive along and spend the day counting birds along that route.
Audubon said the count isn’t split by species.
“All birds are counted all day, giving an indication of the total number of birds in the circle that day,” the organization’s website said.
Volunteers of all bird-watching experience levels are welcome at the annual count.
