New Christmas bird count circle in Louisa County

Calling all birders! Join Louisa County Conservation to participate in the Audubon Christmas Bird Count Thursday, Dec. 16 from 7:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Louisa County now has a new bird count circle called "Louisa Y" with Columbus Junction as its center.

The circle includes towns, woodlands, prairies, and farmland, including the Nature Conservancy Maytag Access along the Cedar River, Cone Marsh, Eden Prairie, Chinkapin Bluffs and Cairo Woods. All ages and experience levels are welcome.

Each year thousands of people all over the country count birds in their area and then report their observations. This tradition began on Christmas Day in 1900 by Frank M. Chapman.

How does the bird count work? There are five routes within the circle to choose from. You drive around your assigned route with a partner to areas that represent the habitat present in your route where you can safely pull over and park, get out of your car, look and listen.

All birds seen and heard on the route are tallied. The idea is to get both species diversity and abundance. The day goes fast. Getting to focus on birds an entire day with other birders is so much fun. If you are a night owl, you can also go owling on the route in the early a.m. or p.m. It is possible to participate just a half day but each route needs to be covered for the full eight hours from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. by various volunteers.

Why is this community science data important? The data collected by observers in this long-running wildlife census allows biologists and researchers from Audubon and other organizations to assess the health of bird populations. When combined with other surveys such as the Breeding Bird Survey, it provides a picture of how the continent’s bird populations have changed over time and space over the past hundred years.

This long-term perspective is vital for conservationists. It informs strategies to protect birds and their habitat and helps identify environmental issues with implications for people as well.

If you are interested in being a route leader or participant or you would like more information, contact Laura Semken at 319-523-8381 or email conservation@louisacountyia.gov. You can also visit LouisaCountyConservation.org or find us on Facebook. For more information about the Audubon Christmas Bird Count, visit https://www.audubon.org/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count.