Local birders invited to help with Christmas Bird Count

The National Audubon Society encourages experienced birders to become citizen scientists by helping with the National Audubon Society’s 119th Annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5. About 20 counts will take place in Missouri, including the Grand River CBC on Dec. 15. Members will meet at the residence of Terry McNeely, coordinator and compiler, on Grate Avenue in Jameson at 6:30 a.m., to assign routes and make any needed changes due to weather.
Mr. McNeely says he expects to have approximately 10 participants. This will be his 29th year of conducting the Grand River CBC.
The CBC is an annual bird census where thousands of volunteers across the U.S., Canada, and many countries in the Western Hemisphere count birds over a 24-hour period between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5. CBCs gather data on winter bird populations to track their long-term trends. Each CBC has a coordinator that assigns portions of a 15-mile diameter count circle to participants to count all birds seen and heard.
Mr. McNeely says that this year birders will be looking at the numbers of Short-eared Owls and Northern Harriers for a couple of reasons. First, both species prefer the tall grass of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields, and several of these fields have been returned to row cropping.
Second, with the drought this year, many of the remaining CRP fields were cut for hay and have not really come back enough for good hunting grounds or cover.
“We will also be looking at several other species including waterfowl, due to the recent cold snap, the warm up afterwards and another cold snap to come,” Mr. McNeely notes. “This may have forced many species to migrate further south than in a normal year.  When birds move south in great numbers, the phenomenon is known as an irruption. We know that this was an irruption year for Red-breasted Nuthatches; however, the cold snap has moved them to the southern part of the state.”
He added that the cold may bring Lapland Longspurs, Smith’s Longspurs and Snow Buntings in larger numbers than in the past few year. A Snowy Owl is always a possibility.
Missouri Department of Conservation State Ornithologist Sarah Kendrick offers these CBC tips:
If you’ve never participated in a CBC, tell the organizer so they can place you with an existing team of birders.
Share your level of birding knowledge when you contact the CBC organizer so they can make sure you’re with a team with the experience to properly identify birds seen or heard.
Dress warmly. Most CBCs will be held regardless of weather unless inclement weather is dangerous. Bring snacks and beverages to stay fueled for a long day.