Christmas Bird Count To Tally Central Park's Feathered Population

CENTRAL PARK, NY – It's a festive tradition stretching back to Victorian times – for the 120th year Christmas will be marked by a bunch of hardy birdwatchers eager to chart the wildlife of the city.

Every year since 1900, ornithologists have gathered in the days around the holiday, spotting birds in a designated area and recording their sightings.

This year's 120th Audubon Christmas Bird Count will take place between December 14 and January 5. In New York City, an organized event led by Audubon's NYC branch along with Urban Park Rangers will be held in Central Park on December 15, between 8 a.m. and noon.

Birdwatchers will meet at the South Gate House of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir.

The event counts all birds seen or heard during the time period and is designed to give an idea of the health of the nation's wild bird population.

At last year's Central Park event, 59 birdwatchers spotted 5,323 birds of 57 species, including three different types of owl seen within 50 yards of each other.

The exotic Mandarin Duck was seen in the park, though the event only counts wild birds and, as an escaped captive, it wasn't included in the tally. The brightly-colored creature that brought hordes of ornithologists to see it has since left the park.