The Audubon Christmas Bird Count is the oldest citizen-based bird conservation effort in the Western Hemisphere. Each year, between December 14 and January 5, more than 55,000 volunteers count more than 60 million birds. There are more than 2000 count sites, each within a 15-mile diameter circle. This particular site is in the Dixon/Pilar/Taos area in New Mexico. The regional project has been ongoing since November 2000 and welcomes all ages of volunteers interested in learning about birds. The project is meant to protect species and further research by managing species or sites, monitoring baseline conditions, understanding natural systems, and gathering or classifying data
Location
Carson National Forest
Dixon/Pilar/Taos area in New Mexico
Partners
Accepting Participants
This project is accepting volunteers. The count date is typically mid-December. We meet at the Rio Grande Gorge Visitors Center in Pilar, NM, promptly at 7:45 a.m. Contact Steve Knox to participate.
Participant Requirements
- All ages
- Must be willing to get up in a cold, December morning before sunrise
- Beginners are welcomed. Less experienced birders are matched up with more experienced birders
Participant Tasks
Counting and identifying bird species with binoculars (some are available on site). Volunteers are divided into five or six groups. Each group has a leader who is capable of identifying every bird in the area by sight and most by sound. Starting at 8:00 am, each group follows a specified route, sometimes driving, sometimes walking. Every bird that is seen is identified and counted. This continues until about 5:00 pm.