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ANN ARBOR CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
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General Information
- The Ann Arbor Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is sponsored by the Washtenaw Audubon Society, and it is open to birders of all skill levels.
- Ann Arbor's CBC is held as part of a continent-wide effort, coordinated by the National Audubon Society.
- About 1700 CBC's are conducted across the continent each year within a window of two and a half weeks. Each count covers a circular area of 15 miles in diameter. The object is to identify and count both the species of birds within the circle, and the numbers of individuals within each species.
- The data collected from each CBC, along with the names of all participants is published each year by the National Audubon Society.
- The Christmas Bird Count is the longest running ornithological database. As we approach the count's centennial, it continues to grow in importance as a means to monitor the status of resident and migratory bird populations across the western hemisphere. The count is 100% volunteer generated data that, over the years, has become a crucial part of the national U.S. database.
- There is a $5.00 fee per participant, except for birders 18 years of age and under.
How Can I Participate?
Be a field observer: Field observers spend the day (or part of it) outside, working on covering an area. In addition to the daylight census of birds, several groups of observers will conduct a pre-dawn search for owls. The Ann Arbor CBC is divided into eight sub-regions, each of which is covered by an area leader assigned to coordinating the census in that region. There is a $5 fee to participate (except for participants 18 years of age and younger) that is generally collected by the area leaders. This fee is used to maintain and publish the data from the 1600+ counts. Call an area leader or the Count Compiler to join in the fun!
Be a feeder watcher: If you have a bird feeder within the count circle, this is a fun and easy way to participate. As a feeder watcher, you need not pay the $5.00 fee, but if you do you will be helping to maintain and publish the data collected from hundreds of similar events across the country. Feeder watchers can participate for any length of time; from one hour to all day. NOTE: Your feeder must be within the count circle for us to be able to accept your data! Call the Feederwatch Coordinator to particpate in this fun way! Note that data from feeders outside the count circle can not be collected, so please check the maps (links on this page) to be sure your feeder is within the defined area. A feeder watch form can be found here.
Area Leaders
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Don't Miss the Potluck Supper!
When the day is done, all participants are invited to a warm and rejuvenating potluck supper. The real fun and excitement of the day occurs here, when the final results are tallied.Good eats and lots of fun tallying all the species after dessert. Note: alcoholic beverages are not permitted at the Botanical Gardens and potluck site. Please call the designated Potluck Coordinator to RSVP and coordinate dishes. The event is at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens, 1800 N. Dixboro Rd., Ann Arbor (click here for maps and directions). Plan to arrive by 6:00 p.m.
Please remember that the CBC is run entirely by volunteers and can always use your help. Consider helping out with the potluck set-up and clean-up: we can always use people who arrive early at the potluck site to set up tables and chairs and help prepare for the arrival and arrangement of food. This may also entail getting supplies such as tablecloths, plates, etc. (costs will be reimbursed by WAS). After the supper, we will need to clean up as well. Remember: many hands make light work!
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Where We Count the Birds
(click links below for maps)
Ann Arbor's count circle is centered near the intersection of Maple Road and Huron River Drive, and is roughly bordered by Whitmore Lake on the north, the Ann Arbor airport on the south, Washtenaw Community College to the east, and the village of Dexter to the west. See these maps for more detail:
Area Overview
Area 1
Area 2
Area 3
Area 4
Area 5
Area 6
Area 7
Area 8
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