By GENE BULLOCK

Kitsap Audubon

On Dec. 20, some 60-80 birdwatchers will train their binoculars on bushes, trees and waterways all over Kitsap County and count every bird they see.

The Christmas Bird Count is a 114-year-old tradition that involves tens of thousands of participants in more than 2,300 count circles throughout the Western Hemisphere.

The Kitsap Audubon Society has been sponsoring Kitsap’s count for more than 40 years. Rain or shine, eight teams will scour the landscape for birds in assigned areas inside Kitsap Audubon’s designated 15-mile-diameter circle. Another team will start counting owls shortly after midnight. Many participants will opt to count birds in their own backyards as feederwatch volunteers.

It’s a fun way for beginners to learn from experienced leaders and discover new places to bird. It’s also a friendly, but spirited competition to see who can come up with the most species. The Kitsap count usually comes up with 112 to 115 species, and often produces a few surprises.

Prior to 1900, commercial market hunters had hunted many bird species to the brink of extinction for their meat and feathers. Sportsmen also engaged in a holiday tradition known as the Christmas Side Hunt: They would choose sides and compete to see which side could kill the most birds and small game in a single day. There was mounting concern among members of the fledgling Audubon Society about declining bird populations. Ornithologist Frank Chapman suggested a new holiday tradition — a Christmas Bird Census — that would count birds during the holidays rather than shoot them. The tradition caught on, and today it is more popular than ever. It has become the longest-running citizen-science bird event in the world.

The data collected over the last century allow researchers, conservation biologists, and other interested individuals to study the long-term health and status of bird populations across North America. When combined with other surveys such as the Breeding Bird Survey, it provides a picture of how the continent’s bird populations have changed in time and space over the past hundred years. The data has helped scientists and policy-makers identify threats to birds and habitat, and promote broad awareness of the need to address them.

While it is gratifying to know that the data you’re collecting benefits birds and science, the real reason for the popularity of Christmas Bird Counts is that they’re fun!

To learn more, visit Kitsap Audubon’s website at www.kitsapaudubon.org.