This December marks the 60th year of the Arctic Audubon Societyâs Fairbanks Christmas Bird Count. Like many traditions, organizers have made adjustments to the event this year to account for pandemic safety.
The Christmas Bird Count is an annual tradition for thousands of volunteers working with local Audubon societies all over the Northern-hemisphere. On count day, field observers cover an assigned area to record bird species, numbers and observation efforts, while feeder watchers count the largest number of each species of birds observed at any one time on count day.Â
The Fairbanks count will take place Dec. 19. Count week, where additional species sightings in the count area can be recorded and added to the list of species observed, runs from Dec. 16-22. In a change for this year, count compilation will take place in a Zoom meeting on Dec. 20.