Join the annual Christmas Bird Count Dec. 18

Valley bird enthusiasts are looking for local outdoor lovers and birders to join them for the National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count Dec. 18.

The count, which is going into its 123rd year, is a national event first organized as a response to an annual Christmas hunt held at the time and has since become a beloved tradition among birders nationwide. Counters spend a designated day in their region observing and counting bird species and populations. That data is then collected, organized and reported to the society by local count organizers.

The Valley’s annual count is organized by the Mat-Su Birders, a local group who is not affiliated with the Audubon Society beyond the event.

While it might seem like the worst time of year to birdwatch, club President Thomas Cappiello said birding in the winter can be enjoyable because it gives an usual excuse to get outside while also offering plenty of surprises.

“That’s what really keeps it intriguing,” he said.

Those can include the literal odd duck still lingering in the area rather than heading south as well as white crowned sparrows and deer falcons, he said. But he also appreciates the count for the way it brings people together.

“It gets people involved and it just kind of provides some sense of community,” he said.

The annual count relies on two types of participants: field counters and feeder counters. Field counters, who typically come to the count with some birding experience, are assigned a grid area where they observe birds over the course of the day. Feeder counters, on the other hand, need less experience and can bird watch a feeder in their own yard over any period of time, he said.

Counting also gives a year-over-year perspective on how the local bird population is changing, he said.

“It provides really, really interesting trends. One year to the next isn’t that interesting, but over 10 to 20 years, it is really interesting,” he said. “We’ve seen our Starling population grow over the years. We didn’t used to have Robins seen in the winter — it was kind of rare like 10 years ago. And now it’s pretty commonplace to see a Robin.”

Instructions for how to count and report are given by the Mat-Su Birders before the count starts, Cappiello said. Anyone who is interested in participating can email matsubirders@gmail.com for more information.

Cappiello also asked that residents who aren’t birding simply be aware the count is happening Dec. 18. While volunteers are encouraged to mark their cars to make it clear that they are participating in the bird count, some may think the slow moving vehicles look suspicious. Cappiello said the police have been called on local counters at least once.

“Please don’t call the cops,” he said. “There’s people out with binoculars, driving in neighborhoods, looking for birds, not to rob your house.”