Join us for a unique adventure in the great outdoors! Sequoia Parks Conservancy invites you to be part of the annual Christmas Bird Count—an exciting opportunity for birders and nature enthusiasts alike. Discover the diverse bird species that call Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks home. Your observations contribute to valuable conservation data, and you’ll get to connect with fellow nature lovers. Embrace the spirit of exploration and make a meaningful impact on our understanding of local bird populations. Share your love for the parks and their feathered inhabitants!

This is a FREE volunteer event! If you’re interested in joining, please visit our website and complete the form so we can provide you with all the necessary volunteer information.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

When: December 14, 2024

Times:

6:00 a.m. for Owling

Owling is conducted primarily around the Ash Mountain area, Buckeye, and the Ash Mountain Rec Hall.

7:00 a.m. for Birding

Birding is a multi-hour event. Participants will pick a specific area in the park to count birds. The distance and difficulty of routes vary.

For more information and to sign up, please visit our website and fill out the form, email adventures@sequoiaparks.org, or call or call Daniel Huecker at 559-565-3779.

HISTORY OF THE COUNT

Prior to the turn of the twentieth century, hunters engaged in a holiday tradition known as the Christmas “Side Hunt.” They would choose sides and go afield with their guns—whoever brought in the biggest pile of feathered (and furred) quarry won.

Conservation was in its beginning stages in that era, and many observers and scientists were becoming concerned about declining bird populations. Beginning on Christmas Day 1900, ornithologist Frank M. Chapman, an early officer in the then-nascent Audubon Society, proposed a new holiday tradition — a “Christmas Bird Census” that would count birds during the holidays rather than hunt them.

So began the Christmas Bird Count. Thanks to the inspiration of Chapman and the enthusiasm of 27 dedicated birders, 25 Christmas Bird Counts were held that day. The locations ranged from Toronto, Ontario, to Pacific Grove, California, with most counts in or near the population centers of northeastern North America. Those original 27 Christmas Bird Counters tallied around 90 species on all the counts combined.

What conservationists have learned through Christmas Bird Count data:

Audubon’s 2014 Climate Change Report is a comprehensive, first-of-its-kind study that predicts how climate change could affect the ranges of 588 North American birds. Of the 588 North American bird species Audubon studied, more than half are likely to be in trouble. Our models indicate that 314 species will lose more than 50 percent of their current climatic range by 2080.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has included Audubon’s climate change work from CBC data as one of 26 indicators of climate change in their 2012 report. In 2009, CBC data were instrumental in the collaborative report by the North American Bird Conservation Initiative, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – State of the Birds 2009.

In 2007, CBC data were instrumental in the development of Audubon’s Common Birds in Decline Report, which revealed that some of America’s most beloved and familiar birds have taken a nosedive over the past forty years.

Information provided by Audubon Society