Most Current Information: Last Update 1/12/2024

The 70th Nantucket Christmas Bird Count

Sunday, December 29, 2024

The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is one of the longest running wildlife census projects in the world and is organized by the National Audubon Society. Over 80,000 volunteers world wide participate in Christmas Bird Counts spanning the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America. It was originally started in 1900’s by ornithologist Frank Chapman, who thought it was better to count the birds instead of hunting them on Christmas Day.

Since 1954, Nantucket has been a proud participant in the CBC, which was originally conducted with only 3 volunteers and now has expanded to over 70 volunteers which includes local and off-island birders. On count day, this year December 29, 2024, the entire island is divided up into eight different sections and each one is assigned a team leader and field observers.  At the end of the 24-hr period, numbers of all species observed in each section are compiled into one list. The list is reviewed and finalized at the end of "Count Week." Sometimes certain birds aren’t found on count day, so we also record species not seen on count day, but are seen during count week which is 3 days before and after count day.

The UMass Nantucket Field Station hosts a compilation meeting at 7 pm on count day for all participating volunteers to celebrate their findings of the day. The CBC is a fantastic way of getting a quick “snap-shot” of what and how many birds are within a definitive radius in 24 hours, and every bird counts!

Here’s how you can help:

• Do you have a bird feeder? We need Feeder Watchers! A Feeder Watcher can keep track of the birds that visit their feeders within the 24-hr count period.

• Do you have a favorite conservation property you like to walk? You can volunteer to be a Field Observer of that property and then report your findings.

• If you are able to dedicate the whole day and enjoy birding you can be assigned to one of the eight sections as a field observer!

  
  If you’d would like to volunteer, please email: nantucketbirdcount@gmail.com

  or call Libby Buck at Linda Loring Nature Foundation, (508) 325-0873

Registration is required by Dec. 20, 2023

Feeder Watcher Information:

Everyone is welcome to be a Feeder Watcher! All you need is a feeder in your yard and to keep track of the birds that come to visit on the official count day.

Click below for the Feeder Watcher data forms. All forms should be emailed to nantucketbirdcount@gmail.com by the end of count day. 

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