Counting Cape's birds - A Century-Long Project

"I think it's an important gateway, getting people interested in nature ... and maybe that will establish
a lifelong passion for birding and for nature and an interest in conserving all of this."

Mark Faherty

Science Coordinator, Mass Audubon, Cape Cod

What is the Christmas Bird Count?

05 January 2024 - TRURO, MA - At the crack of dawn on January 2 seven birders stood at the sandy ledge over Longnook Beach in Truro, scanning the ocean for feathered friends. As the sun rose, a group of razorbills, called the penguins of the north due to their appearance, were billowing the waves and doing their own scanning. A large flock of robins suddenly flew by and Mark Faherty, Science Coordinator at Mass Audubon Cape Cod, counted at least 200.

This scene forms part of a long-term citizen science project stretching back more than a century. By counting the birds every year, data is added to an international census tracking trends in bird populations going back 124 years. Conservation organizations such as the national Audubon, organizer of the Christmas Bird Count, use the data to form strategies for how to protect vulnerable species and habitats.

What does the Christmas Bird Count data say?

There are clear signs of climate change in the birds numbers. The Carolina wren is a non-migrating bird that came here when the winters got warmer. Harsh winters kill back the population. Suburbanization have some birds flourish and endanger others. Some remain only in few numbers with Truro as their last outpost.

How can I participate next year?

Will Crowell participated in the bird count for the first time this year. A birder since seventh grade he is fascinated with sighting rare species, as any collector would be. Will is kind of a rarity himself in the bird watching community, being only 17 years old. Mark Faherty says that every year new birders are added to the science project, which is organized by the national Audubon. The birders get together for one full day between December 14 and January 5, each group covers a radius of 15 miles, then gather to submit the numbers, adding to an ever-growing dataset from Canada to Latin America to the U.S. Commonwealth, used to date by 300 scientific publications.

For more information:

• The National Audubon
• Mass Audubon
• Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
• Cape Cod Bird Club
• Bird Counts at Cape Cod
• Bird Counts in the World