Valley residents, Winter Texans, visitors, birders and those just getting interested in birding are invited to join a team in the count areas for the annual Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count.

The CBC is a one-day event per area within established count circles. This year’s count is already in progress and will run through January 5, 2025. Local counts are listed below with contact information for those interested in joining a team.

December 21, Weslaco, john.yochum@tpwd.texas.gov
December 26, Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, txlacbc@flanwr.org
December 29, Falcon Dam and State Park, idratherbebirding@gmail.com
January 3, 2025, Anzalduas-Bentsen, roy.rodriguez@tpwd.texas.gov
January 3, 2025, Brownsville, karl.berg@utrgv.edu
January 4, 2025, Harlingen, hgtxcbc@gmail.com

Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge Circle encompasses McAllen, Hidalgo, Sharyland, Pharr, San Juan and Alamo.

Laguna Vista, Laguna Heights, Port Isabel, South Padre Island and south to the Rio Grande River are within the Coastal Tip Circle.

Weslaco Circle includes Donna, Mercedes, La Feria and south to Progresso.

Novice birdwatchers are encouraged to join a team. Extra eyes help spot birds for the experienced birders to identify; the more novice birders get valuable experience in bird identification and habits.

In addition, individuals can count birds in their own yard if it is within one of the designated areas. Contact one of the above teams to find if your yard is within a designated area. A list of birds and information will be sent upon request. If you have a yard full of birds in a count area, invite a team; they may be able to visit on count day.

Check this link to see the area of a count: https://gis.audubon.org/christmasbirdcount/

In its 125th year, the bird count tradition dates to when officers in the then newly established Audubon Society proposed to take a census of birds rather than hunt them for sport. Globally, the Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count includes destinations and countries from as far north as the Artic Bay, east from St. Jon’s and Ferryland in Newfoundland, west to Southern Guam, and from the northern most area of Alaska, south through Canada, the U.S., Mexico, South America and down to Drake Passage in the South Atlantic Ocean.

The annual count is a citizen science survey where volunteer bird watchers provide the census data. The event is conducted by the National Audubon Society, an environmental organization devoted to the conservation of birds.

For more information visit https://www.audubon.org/conservation/join-christmas-bird-count.

Photos by Anita Westervelt