Volunteers sought for Christmas Bird Count
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Be part of what’s called the country’s oldest citizens science project by counting birds in the Pittsburgh Christmas Bird Count, happening in the North Hills and beyond.
Master birders, casual birders and novices can take part in the early winter bird census coordinated by the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania.
The Pittsburgh Christmas Bird Count is conducted within a circle 15 miles in diameter in Western Pennsylvania, from the Monongahela River to as far west in Ohio Township and east to Indiana and Harmar townships, said Brian Shema, Pittsburgh Area Bird Count Leader and conservation director of the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania.
Volunteers are being sought, including for counts in North Park and in McCandless and Ross townships.
The bird count occurs annually the Saturday after Christmas, which falls on Jan. 1 of this year.
The name stems prior to 1900, when there was a popular Christmas tradition called a side hunt. Participants would shoot as many birds as they possibly could. Whoever brought in the largest number of birds would win the side hunt contest, Shema said.
The Audubon Society was in its infancy then. An important member decided to start a new tradition in 1900 to do a bird census, which bolstered the understanding of birds and the nascent bird conservation movement. It was meant to take away from the popularity of the hunt, Shema said. It began on Christmas Day, and the name just stuck, he said.
It’s the 122nd year for the Pittsburgh count, according to the society. It’s called the oldest science project because tracking birds and analyzing the data yearly reveals quite a lot.
The Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count measures changes in the environment and in bird populations throughout the continent, providing a picture of bird distribution and number, according to the Audubon Society.
Out of several counting circles in the North Hills, the Latodami Christmas Bird Count will take place in North Park, beginning at the Rose Barn parking lot in North Park. That area will be divided into several circles where counters will walk and document bird species by sight or sound. Inexperienced counters can be paired with knowledgeable birders, said Ken Knapp, a naturalist at the Latodami Environmental Education Center of Allegheny County Parks Department.
For those new to the practice, Knapp said, the Christmas bird count is a great opportunity to get to know the year-round native regional birds before their fair-weather friends fly back after winter, he said.
For example, Knapp said a Pileated woodpecker, which favors warmer climates, never would have been found in this region. But now it’s sighted here pretty often, suggesting climate change is affecting their habitat.
“Birds we see pretty often now in our area you wouldn’t see 20 years ago,” he said.
Year-round, Pittsburgh-area birds may include cardinals, blue jays, titmice, doves and chickadees, Knapp said. And don’t worry about counting something twice because chances are it was only seen once.
“Birds don’t range super widely,” he said.
Counters need to bring their own binoculars.
The Christmas count now allows birders to count from their own backyard. This option began last year because of the pandemic, Knapp said.
Shema said there are other areas to count outside of North Park, including in McCandless and Ross Township, to be led by lead counter Bob Machesney of the North Hills.
The North Park count is a “tiny, tiny fragment of the bird count we are conducting,” Shema said.
Machesney and several other counters traverse areas at Vestal Park, Carson Middle School, Cemetery Lane, Bellevue Community Park and Potter Park. People also can walk about their neighborhood, Shema said.
Ray Morris is also a master birder. He lives in Pine Township, which he said is “precious in bird watching” and leads bird walks there, as well. He takes part in the annual count because of its scientific benefits.
“I’m interested in doing this citizen’s science program, which helps science track the health of our local habits. (I enjoy) also in helping with evaluating the success of local programs to increase bluebirds as we do in North Park,” he said.
Overall, more than 2,500 circles will be counted in North America during the annual count, set to occur between Dec. 15, to Jan. 5, Shema said.
People can contact Shema at 412-963-6100; bshema@aswp.org or visitaswp.org for a complete listing of counting circles and contacts.
Participating in the bird count is free, and all ages are welcome, but children should be with an adult.
Shema says people don’t have to register to participate in the bird count. However, Allegheny County is asking people who wish to participate in the North Park bird count to register through the North Park section of the Allegheny County website.