ORILLIA NATURALISTS' CLUB
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On Saturday, Dec. 14, 2019 the Orillia Naturalists’ Club will be the host for the 120th Audobon Christmas Bird Count and potluck supper.
The count started in 1900. In fact, the Christmas Bird Count is North America's longest-running Citizen Science project. Counts happen in over 2,000 localities throughout the western hemisphere.
The information collected by thousands of volunteer participants forms one of the world's largest sets of wildlife survey data. The results are used daily by conservation biologists and naturalists to assess the population trends and distribution of birds.
Each Christmas Bird Count is conducted on a single day between Sat. Dec. 14, 2019 and Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020. The counts take place in an established 24-kilometre diameter circle and are organized by local count compilers, often representing local birding clubs or naturalist organizations.
Count volunteers follow specified routes, counting every bird they see or hear all day. It's not just a species tally - all birds are counted all day, giving an indication of the total number of birds in the circle that day.
If your home is within the boundaries of our circle, then you can stay at home and report the birds that visit your feeder on count day as long as you have made prior arrangement with the count compiler. Our 24-kilometre circle centres on Bass Lake and can viewed on the diagram above.
Bring a group, or we can match you with a group. Each group will have at least one experienced birder
To register, call Fern Splichal, 705-325-2952.
The bird reports and potluck supper will be held at the Orillia Museum of Art & History, second floor, at 6 p.m. You are welcome at the potluck supper and tally even if you do not go out on the count.
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