For the 126th year, the National Audubon Society is organizing the annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC). On Saturday, Dec. 27, birders and nature enthusiasts in Minot will join this tradition.

Residents interested in volunteering are invited to meet at Prairie Sky Breads in Minot at 8 a.m. on Dec. 27. Volunteers will be divided into four groups to drive the count circle, returning to Prairie Sky Breads at 3 1st St. SE, at 12:30 p.m. Owling begins at 5:30 a.m., starting at Prairie Sky Breads. To sign up for the local count or for more information, contact Joe Super at 818-0577 or joseph.super@minot.k12.nd.us.

The Audubon CBC is a community science project organized by the National Audubon Society in partnership with Birds Canada. There is no fee to participate.

Each individual count takes place in a 15-mile-wide circle and is led by a compiler responsible for safely organizing volunteers and submitting observations directly to Audubon. Within each circle, participants tally all birds seen or heard that day, both species and total numbers, to provide a clear idea of the health of that particular population, according to information from CBC organizers.

Data collected by participants over the years contribute to one of only two large existing pools of information notifying ornithologists and conservation biologists of what conservation action is required to protect birds and the places they need.

“The Audubon Christmas Bird Count is a great tradition and opportunity for everyone to be a part of more than 12 decades of community science in the name of protecting birds,” said Dr. Brooke Bateman, senior director of climate and community science for Audubon, in a news release. “Your Christmas Bird Count observations help scientists discover trends about bird species that inform conservation. Ever since the first count in 1900, participating in the Audubon CBC has been a fun and meaningful way to spend time outdoors for anyone and everyone.”

When combined with other surveys, the Audubon CBC provides a picture of how the continent’s bird populations have changed in time and space over the past hundred years. It informs strategies to protect birds and their habitat and helps identify environmental issues with implications for people as well.

For example, in 2019, Science published a study using decades of Audubon CBC data and other datasets to describe a steady loss of nearly three billion North American birds since 1970. Over the years, Audubon CBC data have been used in more than 300 peer-reviewed articles.