By Kelly Doran
Sun staff
People across America partake in many traditions during the holiday season, including counting birds.
This year is the 115 year of the Audubon Christmas Bird Count, which occurs between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5 in 2,300 places throughout the county and in Canada, Central America and South America.
“It’s a way you can actually contribute to something you might be interested in,” said Jay Stenger, leader of the Cincinnati Bird Count, which covers parts of Hamilton and Clermont counties.
The Christmas Bird Count is a form of “citizen science,” Stenger said, because citizens are going out and taking a census of area birds, which shows increases and decreases in bird populations.
The bird counts are in 15-mile diameters from a central point. The Cincinnati Bird Count’s central point is in Mount Carmel, Stenger said. The East Fork Bird Count begins about two miles northeast of Bethel and covers all of East Fork State Park, said Joe Bens, leader of the count.
Participants can join for part or all of the day and people who live in the area of the count can even participate from their homes by simply watching their yard for about 15 minutes to watch for birds, Stenger said.
“We have a good time,” Bens said. Some even stay out at night to count owls. The East Fork Bird Count is a newer count, it began in 1985, so there are typically only 12-15 participants, Bens said.
The Cincinnati Bird Count began in 1947 and typically gets anywhere from 100-120 participants, Stenger said. He also credits the larger number of participants to the location of the Cincinnati count.
The Christmas Bird Count began in 1900 because Frank Chapman, an ornithologist and an officer in the Audubon Society, wanted to stop the Christmas “Side Hunt” tradition, according to the Audubon website.
During the side hunt, people chose sides and each side tried to shoot the most birds. The Christmas Bird Count was a conservation effort because of concerns about declining bird populations, according to the website.
On average, participants find 90 species during the Cincinnati Bird Count, including a lot of cardinals, Stenger said. One year the count recorded a bobolink, the only count in North America to record one because bobolinks migrate.
“The diversity is really good, actually better than people might think,” Stenger said.
Bald eagles are seen almost every year now, Bens said. He also finds the occasional trumpeter swan, or a laughing gull.
The Cincinnati Bird Count is on Dec. 28. To join, contact Stenger at 513-522-8147 or jaystenger@cinci.rr.com and he will connect anyone interested with one of the groups. Stenger prefers phone calls.
The East Fork Bird Count is Jan. 3. Participants will meet at the McDonalds in Bethel at 7:30 a.m. Those interested should contact Bens at joebens@live.com.