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Californians from all walks of life will take to the outdoors this holiday season to participate in the 112th annual ̽����ѡ Christmas Bird Count, the longest-running wildlife census in the world. Between Dec. 14, 2011 and Jan. 5, 2012, thousands of Californians will transform into volunteer scientists to assess the size of bird populations in local communities throughout the state.

The data from these counts will be compiled with others from around the nation and beyond, and will ultimately help ̽����ѡ track the progress of imperiled species and gauge the impact of environmental threats to birds and habitat.

To learn more about the Christmas Bird Count in your area, contact Daniela Ogden at (510) 601-1866, Ext. 231, dogden@audubon.org. Or just visit our website at.

“Bird enthusiasts look forward to the ̽����ѡ Christmas Bird Count every year because it is a chance to do what they enjoy the most and at the same time make an important contribution to bird conservation,” said Dan Taylor, executive director of ̽����ѡ California. “For many people, this is a holiday tradition that spans several generations.”

Christmas Bird Counts will take place in virtually every county throughout California – in places both familiar and remote. This year, well over 100 counts are scheduled in the state, and more than 5,000 are expected to participate.

“Because of how the Christmas Bird Count data is used to guide conservation and inform policy initiatives, it’s important to get into some of these remote areas and make sure that we get the best possible snapshot of where birds are,” said Taylor.

̽����ѡ California has used Christmas Bird Count data to predict how California birds will respond to climate change, and to identify which habitat areas will be critical to future conservation.

The Christmas Bird Counts began more than a century ago when conservationists – as an alternative to holiday hunting contests – banded together to identify, count and record all the birds they saw. One of the first counts was held in California in 1900, in Pacific Grove.

 “̽����ѡ was a social network before the world ever heard the term,” notes David Yarnold, ̽����ѡ President & CEO. “Each December the buzz from our social network goes up a few decibels, as people with the knowledge and the passion for birds provide what no organization alone can.”

In each Christmas Bird Count, volunteers must count birds within an established 15-mile diameter circle. Sometimes these circles are in the open landscape, while other times they are on private lands or even residential neighborhoods. Each field party includes at least one experienced birdwatcher.

For more information about the Christmas Bird Count, visit .

About ̽����ѡ California  
̽����ѡ California is building a better future for California by bringing people together to appreciate, enjoy and protect our spectacular outdoor treasures. With more than 50,000 members in California and an affiliated 48 local ̽����ѡ chapters, ̽����ѡ California is a field program of the ̽����ѡ.