Everybody is welcome to participate in the Charlottesville Christmas Bird Count.
The Christmas Bird Count is a national survey of winter bird populations of North America run by the National Audubon Society. It has been in existence since 1900; the Charlottesville count began in 1924. All counts take place in a circle 15 miles in diameter. The center of the C’ville CBC is in Ivy. Normally we have about 20 teams going out on the day of the count with total participation about 60 people. We record every individual of every species we observe. At the end of the day we tally our observations, traditionally at a pot luck gathering. But as last year, the tally this year will take place virtually due to Covid precautions. Information about the virtual tally will be on the PVBC website.
Again, due to Covid, NAS requires that only familial groups or social “pods” can travel together in a car. Several cars, however, can join a team. We will follow the Thomas Jefferson Health District guidelines encouraging but not mandating social distancing and masks outdoors.
A map of the Charlottesville CBC circle can be found at: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1eknucdD37OJCRPt6gr3EDPncw1fRhOQK&usp=sharing
Many people are using the app Merlin these days. NAS has guidelines for its use.
Audubon Guidelines for use of Merlin birding app on Christmas Bird Count
With the rapid increase in use of the Merlin birding app for identifying bird vocalizations in the field, Audubon needs to address the best use practices of this birding tool on Christmas Bird Counts.
-
- If an unfamiliar vocalization is heard by CBC participants and Merlin is used to assist in the identification, inclusion of the species is permitted.
- If Merlin picks up a vocalization of a bird species that participants did not hear right away, but that then do then hear and identify, inclusion of the species is permitted.
- If Merlin assists in the identification of the call of a rare or hard-to-identify species, secondary identification by sight or photography should be obtained to permit inclusion of that species.
- As with by-ear identification, species that are often imitated by others (hawks by jays, mimicry by mimids, etc.) should also be visually confirmed for inclusion.
- If Merlin identifies a vocalization of a species that is neither heard nor independently seen by participants on a Christmas Bird Count, that species may not be included in the CBC results.
If you are a newcomer – a beginner or an advanced birder or somewhere in between – please contact me if you would like to join a team or start a new team in the Charlottesville CBC on December 18.
Jenny Gaden, compiler
