Christmas Bird Count 2024

The Christmas Bird Count is an annual nationwide tradition that dates back to the early 1900s in which birders count every bird they see or hear over one day in an assigned geographic area. The Putnam County CBC will be held on Saturday, December 28th, 2024 beginning at 12am and ending 5pm (for those intrepid birders) with an in person compilation that evening.

For more information on the meeting, please email birds@putnamhighlandsaudubon.org 

This is a free and voluntary event - all are welcome!

What is a CBC?

The annual Christmas Bird Count is a project of the National Audubon Society. The idea of a Christmas Bird Count first began in the early 1900s, when distinguished scientist Frank Chapman became concerned about declining avian populations. He decided that counting birds every Christmas Day was a good way to gather an understanding of the status and populations of many bird species, by enlisting engaged citizens in orderly, focused counts. Prior to that time and even afterwards, hunters would go out and shoot just about any feathered or furry animal as a means of taking inventory of what’s around, or as a meal.  Fast forward 121 years later to the present day when 2,585 CBC’s were completed nation-wide in 2020, as birders recorded an astounding 59.2 billion birds!

Putnam County’s CBC began in 1955 and was started by Jim Nolan and Ralph Odell.