On Dec. 19, birdwatching enthusiasts will spend the day counting birds in the Gimli area for the Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC).
The CBC is an international holiday-birding tradition in which birders track and count the number of birds they see within a 24 km radius of a geographical area. Bird count statistics are collected annually from Dec. 14 through Jan. 5 and are used as population data for scientific reports. This is Audubon’s 125th CBC, and since its inaugural year, millions of birds have been counted across the globe.
Bonnie Chartier has been organizing Gimli’s CBC for 25 years, and she is the lead compiler for the area.
She will be hosting Gimli’s count on Dec. 19, with their 24 km radius beginning in Fraiserwood.
Chartier and 13 other birders will be driving up and down roads with their binoculars, trying to catch a glimpse of every bird in the area.
“In past years we have seen over 1500 birds on our count at about 24 or 25 different species.”
Since the birdwatchers will be looking for several birds, don’t be alarmed if you see unusual people looking around your yard.
“If people see us driving slowly looking into their yards with binoculars, I want them to know that we are just looking for birds and not spying into their houses,” explained Chartier.
If you are looking for an easy activity from your home, you can participate in the Gimli CBC by becoming a Feeder Watcher.
As a Feeder Watcher, you will track the number of birds and the species of birds visiting your feeder. Once the day is complete, you will send your data over to Chartier so she can compile all of Gimli’s statistics.
You must inform her in advance if you would like to be a Feeder Watcher on Dec. 19. You can email cwe@mymts.net to express your interest in joining Gimli’s CBC.
For your bird count numbers to be official, you must reside within the 24 km radius, so please confirm with Chartier that you are in the right zone before tracking the birds you spot.
Also, keep an eye out for any unique bird species you spot three days before (Dec. 16-18) and three days after (Dec. 20-22), as any species of bird not tracked on Dec. 17 can be added to the official report.
