Dec 15, 2008 7:20 pm US/Eastern
Volunteers Count Birds As Part Of Annual Event
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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Bird species like the Northern Cardinal, Carolina Wren, and Red-bellied Woodpecker that normally live south of our state have been increasing in numbers over the last several decades.
WBZ
Don't be alarmed if you see people in your neighborhood looking around with binoculars over the next few weeks. It is all part of an annual tradition called the
Christmas Bird Count.
Hosted by the Audubon Society, this bird census dates back to 1900 and is the longest running citizen science project in the world. "The Christmas Bird Count gathers data on early winter distribution and abundance of birds. It is a way of giving us a sense of local populations," said Taber Allison, bird expert at the Mass Audubon Society.
Now through early January, local birding groups will gather to count the number of local bird species and the overall bird population.
This weekend a group will come together at Mass Audubon's Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary in Natick. Several of them met me there earlier today to speak about the experience. "Every year there is something surprising and you don't know what to expect," said a twenty-something David Allen.
He began birding with his mom at the age of 10.
Melissa Hansen added, "I first started doing the bird count about six years ago. It's fun. It's a chance to get outside during the winter."
And plenty of people feel the same. Volunteers number close to 1,000 in New England and in the tens of thousands across the Northern Hemisphere. Local volunteers can hope to see 60 to 70 different bird species across the central part of the state and over 100 species along the coast.
Once all the data is compiled, it is entered into an online database to help scientists track long term trends.
Here in Massachusetts, one thread that is emerging from the bird data collected over the last century connects to a warming of our local climate. Bird species like the Northern Cardinal, Carolina Wren, and Red-bellied Woodpecker that normally live south of our state have been increasing in numbers over the last several decades. "The Tufted Titmouse in another example. It used to be rare to see these birds a few decades ago. Now it's common, widespread throughout Massachusetts and these birds are moving north. You can see them in southern New Hampshire and Vermont," said Allison.
Computer models also predict that some local species like our state bird, the Black Capped Chickadee, will eventually find a home farther north. "Birds are one of the first to show the impact of climate change. They are so mobile, they can respond very quickly to short term changes," remarked Allison.
And if our beloved Chickadees begin to disappear, the Christmas Bird Count volunteers will be the first to spot the trend.
If you would like to volunteer contact Mass Audubon's Wildlife Information Hotline: 781-259-2150
**Thanks to nature videographer Dick Whalton of
Brownbag Production and nature photographer Shawn Carey of
Migration Productions for providing images for the story.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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