Help us monitor central Ohio’s winter birdlife in one of the longest-running volunteer censuses in the U.S., the Audubon Christmas Bird Count. The CBCs, as they’re affectionately called, are almost as anticipated by birders as are holiday meals and celebrations. They started in the early 1900s as an alternative to Christmas hunts, and in the 1960s the Audubon Society standardized them to single-day coverage of 15-mile diameter circles, so as to better compare bird numbers in different areas.
We need you, and all your sharp-eyed friends, to help make these Counts go well. Counts usually do well by dividing up participants into teams that cover different areas, ranging from huge townships and parks down to compact neighborhoods. We need as many birders as we can recruit, since more eyes mean fewer birds missed. You don’t need to be a good birder to help; most teams have lots of new birders who act as extra eyes and ears for the few experienced birders on the team. 2023 Counts and leaders are listed below.
Date | Location | Contact | Phone |
Friday, Dec 15 | Buckeye Lake | Jeff White at [email protected] | 614-425-8016 |
Friday, Dec. 15 | Clark County | Brian Menker at [email protected] | Â |
Saturday, Dec 16 | Hoover | Lee McBride at [email protected] | 614-360-8213 |
Sunday, Dec 17 | Delaware County | Richard Bradley at [email protected] | 740-330-2605 |
Sunday, Dec 17 | Columbus | Rob Thorn at [email protected] | 614-551-0643 |
Saturday, Dec 30 | Darby Creeks | Jen Moore at [email protected] | 614-774-0020 |
Sunday, Dec 31 | O’Shaughnessy | Darlene Sillick at [email protected] | 614-288-3696 |
Sunday, Dec 31 | Killdeer Plains | James Anderson at [email protected] | 740-251-8488 |
For details on a count, or to participate, please email the count leader (above) or shown on the map.