More than a century ago, Audubon pioneered the idea of community science with the first Christmas Bird Count. Today the Bergen County Audubon society joins with its Audubon partners, providing vital information about bird populations and trends, data that alerts us to environmental threats not only to birds but to the larger ecosystems we all depend on.
Our Current Monitoring Efforts
OUR ANNUAL BIRD COUNTS
May: Spring Bird Count (Bird-a-thon) as part of our Spring Fundraiser
December: Hackensack-Ridgewood Christmas Bird Count (CBC), Coordinator: Dave Hall, Field Work
February: Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) Contact: Don Torino
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SPRING BIRD COUNT (BIRD-A-THON)
Celebrate “International Migratory Bird Day” and join us for our Spring Bird Count.
Spend part of this day enjoying the Spring migration while helping BCAS raise funds for Education and Conservation projects!
On Count Day, Chapter leaders cover many areas, including Garret Mountain, DeKorte Park, Tenafly Nature Center, The Celery Farm in Allendale, Mehrhof Pond, Overpeck Park, and Flat Rock Brook Nature Center. Join one of the above groups, or chose your own favorite local bird spot and send back a list of what you see.
This is perhaps the most exciting time in the birding year and we encourage you to take part.
BCAS’s goals are as follows:
- Identify as many species as possible in “Greater Bergen County” on that day
AND count HOW MANY birds of each species are present. - Report your bird lists and total number per species to David Hall, Field Work.
A master list of the total species and number of birds identified will be compiled. - The master list is the basis for our “Bird-a-thon” Spring Fundraiser.
- The more bird species we identify, the more funds BCAS will raise for Education and Conservation projects!
- Have fun!! Count DAY is rain or shine.
To make a pledge for our Spring Count, please download our flyer here.
Coordinator: Dave Hall david.hall@einstein.yu.edu , (973)-226-7825
HACKENSACK- RIDGEWOOD CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT (CBC) – A CBC Circle since 1948
This is a Nature Program Cooperative Event
Read about our 2022 Christmas Bird Count results for 2022 Christmas count here.
Our goal is to count all the birds within a 15 mile diameter circle, centered at the River Edge Railroad Station. We count the number of species and the number of individuals of each species within this circle.
Experienced leaders are assigned for the territories in the CBC circle. We need your help in the field or in your neighborhood on count day. Even if you can only participate for part of the day, every observer can be a valuable addition to our group effort.
You don’t have to be an expert to take part. If you can identify the common winter birds, you can be a valuable participant. If you live within the Circle, feeder counts conducted in your yard on Count Day can be very valuable. We welcome you to call in your results. If you would rather count in your local neighborhood or park, contact Dave Hall so your effort can be coordinated with that of our leaders.
This effort continues to teach us about the status and survival of our native birds, and helps to identify important bird areas in Bergen County. Join us for a day of Community Science!
Count Day is conducted even if inclement weather.
Coordinator: Dave Hall david.hall@einstein.yu.edu , (973)-226-7825
Note: Our counts, along with 2,300 other CBC circles across the Americas, are submitted to National Audubon.
National Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count is the longest running Community Science survey/wildlife census in the world. The data collected over the past century allow researchers, conservation biologists, and other interested individuals to study the long-term health and status of bird populations and to help guide conservation action.
GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT (GBBC)
Be a Community-Scientist! Participate in the GBBC – an annual 4 day world-wide Community-Science event conducted in February. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds.
Scientists use the GBBC information, along with observations from other community-science projects such as the Christmas Bird Count, to get the “big picture” about what is happening to bird populations.
Everyone is welcome to take part in the GBBC — from beginners to experts. Participants simply watch birds at any location for at least 15 minutes, tally the numbers of each species they see, and report their tallies online. To learn more visit birdcount.org.
