Science & Conservation >

Citizen science is about public volunteers getting involved in nationwide science programs and contributing to Audubon’s conservation efforts across the country. You don’t need special training to be a citizen scientist, just a love of watching birds. Your observations of birds at the feeder or in your local area, when combined with sightings by thousands of other citizen scientists, can reveal geographic patterns and long-term trends in bird abundance. This body of data is an invaluable tool for bird conservation planning.

So get involved! These are some of Audubon’s major citizen science programs.

• Christmas Bird Count:
  Over 100 years old, this early-winter count of birds within a 15-mile diameter circle is arguably the best-established tradition in the birding calendar. A social event as well as a bird census, teams of counters assemble in the evening to pool the results of their separate counts across the circle and tally all individuals of every species seen and heard throughout the day. There are 24 Christmas Bird Counts across Maryland and DC so there are plenty of opportunities to join in.
  
  
• Great Backyard Bird Count:
  The Great Backyard Bird Count is the largest coordinated birdwatching event in North America. On Presidents’ Day weekend each year thousands of birdwatchers across the United States count all birds visiting their yard to provide a nationwide snapshot of wintering bird abundance. In 2005, the Count’s 9th year, 50,000 observers took part, and in Maryland and DC alone more than 1,300 bird checklists were submitted and 139 different species were recorded.
  
  
• eBird:
  On the eBird web site you can report birds that you observe anywhere at any time and also view data from thousands of other birdwatchers around North America. The eBird site was formed through a partnership between the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Herons © Dave Harp