SEQUOYAH NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE HOSTS ANNUAL CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
This year marks the 117th anniversary of the National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count, and the 41st annual Christmas Bird Count held at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge. The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is a long-standing program based on citizen science involvement. It is an early-winter bird census, where thousands of volunteers across the U.S., Canada and 19 countries in the Western Hemisphere, go out over a 24 hour period to count birds.
The annual Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge Christmas Bird Count will be held on Wednesday, December 14, 2016, and is free of charge to all participants. Anyone interested in participating in the event should arrive at 7:00AM at Refuge Headquarters. From I-40 take the Vian exit 297, travel south approximately 3 miles on the county road; follow the signs to the refuge. Check the weather forecast and dress appropriately, and plan on being in the field for about 6-8 hours if you stay for the entire event.
CBC participants will be organized into groups - or field parties - by the organizer of the Count. Each field party covers a specific route in a specific area of a 15-mile diameter circle. In order to ensure a great experience for everyone involved, all field parties are arranged so inexperienced observers are always paired with seasoned birders from the Indian Nations Chapter of the National Audubon Society.
Members of the Indian Nations Chapter of the National Audubon Society have been an intricate part of planning this event, organizing the routes, and compiling the data for many years. These members offer many years of field experience identifying and counting birds. The contributions made by this group are a huge reason this activity has been successful on the Refuge for so many years. Their experience and willingness to teach make this event inviting for birders of all skill levels.
Each of the citizen scientists who take part in the Christmas Bird Count makes an enormous contribution to conservation. Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this longest-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations across the Western Hemisphere. Please come out and enjoy a day of birding with your family and friends while building new friendships at this great event!
For more information contact the Refuge at 918-773-5251. Visit us on-line at www.fws.gov/refuge/sequoyah/.
