Christmas Bird Counts Scheduled For Moscow-Pullman And Lewiston

From novice birder to seasoned ornithologist, anyone is welcome to participate in the 102nd annual Christmas Bird Count to be held December 15 and January 5 in the Moscow-Pullman and Lewiston areas. Sponsored by the National Audubon Society, the all-day count of early winter bird populations gives participants the opportunity to see wintering birds rarely seen by most people. Held annually, the Christmas Bird Count has also become one of the most popular birding events of the year. "This year, the Canyon Birders are planning a chili feed and count tally for the evening," said club member and Idaho Department of Fish and Game Non-game Biologist Rita Dixon. "Come out and enjoy birding with us. It is a fun learning experience for all." The results are compiled into the longest running database in ornithology, which represents 100 years of unbroken data on trends of early winter bird populations across America. The data from 100 years of Christmas Bird Counts, yield valuable insights into the shifting patterns, distributions, and population trends of bird species during the count period, which is from mid-December to early January. Novice birders can take advantage of the count by teaming up with experienced bird counters. All observers must do their counting within a designated area on the given count day. Contacts for the North central Idaho Christmas Bird Counts and listed below: December 15 Palouse Audubon Contact: Tom Weber 509-334-3817 January 5 Canyon Birders Contact: Carol Vande Voorde 509-243-4388 Anyone wishing to census birds at their feeder and does not live within a Christmas Bird Count circle, can still get involved with Project FeederWatch. More information on both counts is available at http://www.birdsource.org and http://www.palouseaudubon.org.