27th Annual Christmas Bird Count Dates Set for Kanab
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KANAB, Utah — Share the gift of nature this holiday season by participating with your family and friends in the 120th Annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count. More than 50,000 volunteers from all 50 states, Canadian, Central and South America, Bermuda, the West Indies, and Pacific Islands count and record every individual bird and bird species seen in a specified area found during one 24-hour period in a designated circle 15 miles in diameter or about 177 square miles.
Locally, the CBC is holding its 27th annual event. Last year, individuals and local school children from every walk of life turned out for the event. Everyone had a great time, identifying more than 3,000 birds representing over 70 bird species in and around Bryce Canyon, Kanab, Escalante, Utah; and Page, Arizona including many migrating birds such as Golden eagles, Ring-necked ducks, and wild turkeys.
This year, the Bureau of Land Management’s Kanab Field Office and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and the Anasazi State Park are planning to host events on:
- Dec. 16: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Escalante Interagency Visitor Center, 755 W Main Street, Escalante, Utah. Call (435) 826-5607 for more information.
- Dec. 18: depending on weather, from 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Anasazi State Park Visitor Center, 460 Highway 12, Boulder, Utah. . Efforts will be made to pair inexperienced birders with experienced birders. Call (435) 826-5607 for details.
- Dec. 20: from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Kanab Center, 20 N 100 E, Kanab, Utah. Call Lisa Church (435) 644-1273 for details.
- For more local counts see Utahbirds.org or your local Audubon Chapter.
Several area schools are also participating by having students count birds at feeders and around their own schools. Check off sheets may be coming home with your kids in their homework. Just send them back to school and event sponsors will pick them up.
This Annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count is an event for everyone, not just for the birds! According to Lisa Church, Kanab Field Office wildlife biologist, “Anyone can contribute. Folks can even count birds in their own yard. If they would like more adventure, they can drive or hike along local birding routes. So, come join us and learn more about the feathered residents of your public lands.”
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.