Home >  Plan a trip >  Nature >  Birds & wildlife >  Counting birds

Other stories in "Birds & wildlife"

• Playing the field in Wisconsin
  In April, the kooky courtship of prairie chickens brings out the bird watchers.
• Ely and the three bears
  At the North American Bear Center, visitors meet some big personalities.
• Beguiled by bears
  In northern Minnesota, the man who loved bears left a legacy for thousands.
• Where eagles land
  Winter is anything but slow at the big birds' favorite gathering spots.
• Owl aboard
  In southeast Minnesota, a live-wire named Alice is the star of a late-winter festival.
• Birding in spring
  When the birds return, festivals follow.
• Open sesame on the sloughs
  In winter, eagle-watchers and snowshoers can explore frozen Mississippi byways.
• Winter weekend in Monticello
  Come for the swans; stay for the shopping and skiing.
• Snow birds
  A wintering flock of trumpeter swans has put Monticello on the map.
• Looking for bald eagles
  In winter, the cold forces the birds to go where they're easier to see.
• Wings over Alma
  Tundra-swan watchers have a honkin' good time during the November migration.
• Life on Horicon Marsh
  At an avian rest stop, humans learn about life on the wing.
• Hawk heaven
  On a ridgetop in Duluth, bird watchers keep eyes on the skies.
• All eyes on Wabasha
  Eagles are drawn to this Mississippi River town, along with flocks of binocular-toting visitors.
• Bird walks
  In spring, a symphony of trills and chirps draws hikers into the woods.

Counting birds

At Christmas, birders go afield for the annual census.

It's almost Christmas, so it's time to count birds.

You won't see three French hens, two turtledoves or a partridge in a pear tree, but chances are good for swans a-swimming, geese (though not a-laying) and many more than four calling birds.  The National Audubon Society's annual Christmas Bird Count is coming up, and local bird clubs can use help.

Between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5, birders spend a day in the field at thousands of locations across the Americas, compiling numbers that will be used to monitor the status of bird populations and identify potential threats. For beginners, it's a good way to contribute and also learn from more experienced birders.

Choose a day now; some of the counting expeditions already have filled. In Wisconsin, the Society for Ornithology lists Christmas bird counts in Wisconsin and the people to contact about joining them. The Minnesota Ornithologists' Union also lists counts across the state, as do the Iowa Ornithologists' Union and the Michigan Audubon Society. There are also many counting groups going out in Illinois.

Last updated on November 25, 2008