Birders in the Durango area are preparing to take part in an annual tradition dating back to 1900 – the Christmas Bird Count, held by the Durango Bird Club on Saturday. Across the continent, birders gather each year between mid-December and early January to catalog the winged creatures wintering in their region.
Ornithologists will bundle up (temperatures are expected to barely break freezing) and spend the day traveling by foot and automobile, binoculars in hand, in search of Durango’s resident birds.
Counts take place in defined circles with a radius of 15 miles. Teams disperse in sectors within those circles to count both the total number of birds as well as the number of species spotted. Last year, birders kept their eyes peeled in 2,621 different areas.
Leaders of the counts report findings back to the National Audubon Society, which releases a report of the full results each year.
“It’s pretty much a census for birds,” said Ryan Votta, the coordinator of the Durango CBC.
He predicts birders may see over 80 different species Saturday, including perhaps some rarer creatures. He recently spotted a winter wren near the fish hatchery, which has only been sighted in La Plata County three times. With more than 50 people in the field, Votta said that someone usually encounters something noteworthy.
The data collected at the Christmas Bird Count led to new findings on where birds winter and how species are adapting to a warming climate.
“With climate change, they’re finding some species are moving their wintering ranges to the north,” Votta said. “So species like the hairy woodpecker, downy woodpeckers, red-bellied woodpeckers (and) some species of hummingbirds are actually expanding to the north. And then they’re also able to track and see which populations are the greatest risk.”
The data collected at the event helps scientists understand birds’ winter habits. Votta said the Durango Bird Club conducts a similar event in the spring to get a better sense of what birds are using the area as a mating ground.
Even amateur and inexperienced birders are encouraged to show up, Votta said.
“We definitely encourage folks that might not be a true birder but somebody who has a feeder up and they’re interested and want to learn more (to show up),” he said. “It’s a great opportunity for those folks to team up with a more experienced birder and learn from them. We’ve had a lot of people that have never really been birding before and then they do a Christmas Bird Count and they’re hooked.”
Anyone interested in participating can sign up on the Durango Bird Club’s website or email Votta directly at rvotta83@gmail.com. The Cortez Christmas Bird Count will take place Dec. 31.
As for rare bird sightings, Votta said the recent reports of a roadrunner in the Breen area have him excited for Saturday’s event.
rschafir@durangoherald.com
