Audubon Christmas bird count returns

The long-running Audubon Christmas Bird Count will return to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge on Saturday, Dec. 20, offering local residents and visiting birders a chance to take part in one of the largest and oldest community science projects in the Western Hemisphere.

This year’s count is organized by volunteer coordinator Dave Hawksworth, who has participated in the event since moving to the area in 1994. Though he works for the U.S. Forest Service, Hawksworth organizes the Bosque del Apache count on his own time.

“For 24 hours, for just one day, we count all the birds we can see or hear,” he said. “Then we compile everything and send it to the Audubon Society, and they put all the results online. The data helps monitor bird populations all over the Western Hemisphere.”

The count, sponsored by the National Audubon Society, has been conducted annually for more than a century. Hawksworth said thousands of individual counts take place across the country and beyond.

The Bosque del Apache count dates back to 1937 and has been conducted consistently since about 1970.

Participants of all experience levels are welcome, from seasoned birders to first-timers. Hawksworth said groups of two to four people will be assigned to different areas of the refuge to ensure broad coverage. Depending on turnout, as many as six or seven groups may be sent out.

Because groups spend most of the day outdoors, Hawksworth advises participants to bring lunch, water and plenty of warm clothing.

“It’s a lot of fun,” he said. “And hopefully we’ll have some decent weather.”

Those interested in joining this year’s count should contact Hawksworth by Dec. 15 so he can coordinate group assignments and provide the refuge with a participant list. He can be reached at DLHawksworth@gmail.com.