The Bald Eagle is one of several species likely to be recorded during the Annual Christmas Bird Count. Photo credit: Paul Roisen

The 117th Sioux City Christmas Bird Count (CBC) will be held on Saturday, December 17, 2016. Interested people from the Sioux City area and Loess Hills Audubon Society will go afield to count the number of different species of birds found around Siouxland.

Count volunteers follow specified routes through a designated 15-mile (24-km) diameter circle, counting every bird they see or hear all day. It’s not just a species tally—all birds are counted all day, giving an indication of the total number of birds in the circle that day. If observers live within a CBC circle, they may arrange in advance to count the birds at their feeders and submit those data to their compiler. All individual CBC’s are conducted in the period from December 14 to January 5 (inclusive dates) each season, and each count is conducted in one calendar day.

Loess Hills Audubon Society members participate in several CBC’s each year and some serve as the count compilers. Last year in Sioux City several teams of 23 birders reported a record total of 70 species for the day. Highlights were 13 Bald Eagles, Black Duck, both Crossbills, Winter and Carolina Wren, and a Golden-crowned Kinglet.

Each of the citizen scientists who annually brave snow, wind, or rain, to take part in the Christmas Bird Count makes an enormous contribution to conservation. Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this longest-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations – and to help guide conservation action.

From feeder-watchers and field observers to count compilers and regional editors, everyone who takes part in the Christmas Bird Count does it for love of birds and the excitement of friendly competition — and with the knowledge that their efforts are making a difference for science and bird conservation.

To join the local Sioux City Christmas Bird Count, Contact Jerry Probst at:  probsthoney@aol.com or 712-258-1296 for information.

More can also be found at: http://lhas.tripod.com/id15.html

Christmas Bird Counts also in the area:

Westfield, IA on Thursday., Dec. 15 contact Dotty Zales at zales66@hotmail.com

Yankton, SD on Sun., Dec. 18 contact Jerry Probst at probsthoney@aol.com

Ida Grove, IA on Sun., Dec. 18 contact Don Poggensee at donpog@netllc.net

Ponca State Park, Ponca, NE on Friday, December 23 contact Bill Huser at bhuser@siouxbeehoney.com