What started as a bird slaughter has grown into something far more pleasant: the National Audubon Society’s valuable Christmas Bird Count when volunteers fan out in groups to see what’s flying about.
Audubon needs to sign up volunteer bird spotters groups throughout Florida to gather data that helps biologists protect birds and the environment in which they live.
Audubon’s Sally Stein is organizing volunteers into teams in Southwest Florida.
“The Christmas Bird Count is a lot of fun to participate in,” said Sally Stein, organizer of the bird count in the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary area. “If you're trying to learn what birds you have in your backyard or in the area, it's a great chance to get out and learn what they are with other people. You don't have to be an expert to participate.”
Larger than just Southwest Florida, the bird count spans the Western Hemisphere. The results are a key source of data for ornithologists to gauge bird populations and to help determine where to focus conservation efforts.
The event runs from Dec. 14, 2025, to Jan. 5, 2026. To contact Stein to volunteer, click here. Or call (239) 348-9151.
In the late 1800s, hunters often participated in a Christmas Day tradition called a "side hunt," according to the Columbia Audubon Society. Teams would go outside and see which could shoot and kill the most birds and animals, not for food but merely for the thrill of the hunt. The winner was the team with the largest pile.
The event took a positive turn in 1900, when Frank Chapman, founder of what became Audubon Magazine, proposed counting birds instead of killing them.
Chapman’s idea turned into what Audubon now calls the longest-running citizen science bird survey in the world.
To learn more, click here.
Reporting for WGCU is funded in part by VoLo Foundation, a non-profit with a mission to accelerate change and global impact by supporting science-based climate solutions, enhancing education, and improving health.
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