The Golden Gate Audubon Society will hold its 120th annual Christmas
Bird Count on Sunday, when more than 250 bird spotters will fan out around the
East Bay starting at dawn to take a tally of various types of feathered
friends.
Organizers say the Oakland event, one of 2,615 bird counts
held this month by Audubon chapters throughout the hemisphere, has brought out more
volunteers in recent years than any other count.
Some volunteers will start at 4 a.m. to take a count of
owls, and spotters will be at locations in a 15-mile circle that includes
Berkeley, Alameda, Emeryville, Orinda, and Lafayette.
“More than just a fun winter tradition, the Christmas
Bird Count provides valuable data on bird population trends over decades and
has been cited in over 300 peer-reviewed scientific articles,” the society
said in an announcement. “This year, it takes place under the dual shadows
of bird population decline and climate change.”
Bird populations in North America have seen a steady decline
since 1970, according to figures from the count, that researchers attribute to human
activity.
“In the Oakland count area, some common species that
have seen long-term declines over the past four decades include dark-eyed
juncos (down 35 percent), Fox Sparrows (down 42 percent), Brewer’s blackbirds
(down 65 percent), and tricolored blackbirds, which have not been spotted at
all in the past few years,” the society said.
After taking their census, volunteers will report on their sightings
at a dinner in Berkeley,
“What will we find this year? We won’t know until we’re
out in the field!” said Golden Gate Audubon Society Executive Director Pam
Young. “What we do know is that this kind of community science is more
important than ever. If we can identify which of our local bird species are in
trouble, then we can take steps to help them. And a Bay Area where birds thrive
is also one where humans will thrive.”
Source: NBC Bay Area