Florida Birdwatchers Invited to Help the Audubon Society

Florida birdwatchers are invited to take part in the 115th annual Christmas Bird Count.

The event kicked off Dec. 14 and runs through Jan. 5.

During the count, birders, scientists, families and students are invited to volunteer their time to count the birds they encounter in their own backyards.

“Each of the citizen scientists who annually braves snow, wind, or rain, to take part in the Christmas Bird Count makes an enormous contribution to conservation,” the society explained on its website. “Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this longest-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations - and to help guide conservation action.”

Last year, 8,353 cardinals were counted in Florida alone, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission noted on its Facebook page.

All volunteers need to do to get started is sign up on the Audubon Society’s website. There are a number of counts going on in the Tampa Bay area that are still open to participation.

FWC Photo by Andy Wraithmell