In 2021, Musings from Main introduced readers to the Christmas Bird Count (CBC), an annual bird census organized by the National Audubon Society. Every year since 1900, birdwatchers across the Americas have taken to the field in late December-early January to survey birds.

Our 2021 Musing gave a high-level overview of the Count’s history and function. The Count’s local history and logistics are equally fascinating.

History and Workings of the Hartford Christmas Bird Count

The Christmas Bird Count, which spans the western hemisphere, is composed of about 2,600 sub-counts, typically centered on cities and towns. Counts take place in “count circles” with fifteen-mile diameters. Each count occurs on a single day between December 14 – January 5. Birdwatchers record every individual bird seen during the count, not just the number of species.

The Hartford Bird Study Club, now the Hartford Audubon Society, began the Hartford Christmas Bird Count in 1909. The Hartford count circle is centered on the Old State House and includes Hartford and parts of the surrounding towns.

Only a few club members participated in 1909. In 1910, the Bird Study Club made its first coordinated effort, dividing the area around Hartford into 14 districts and assigning club members to cover each one. Their coordination paid off. The following year, in 1911, 17 club members participated in the Hartford count, tallying 2,987 birds of 34 species excluding House Sparrow, including scarcer species such as Common Redpoll and Rough-legged Hawk. This was a stellar showing for the time.

Current Count

Today, over a century later, the Hartford Christmas Bird Count follows the same drill. There are now 12 count areas, each with a captain who ensures that the area is sufficiently covered. In 2022, 111 birdwatchers participated in the Hartford count, tallying 42,199 individuals of 94 species.

In addition to natural areas, birdwatchers look for birds at landfills, recycling plants, city streets, golf courses, and more. Click here for a writeup of one birdwatcher’s day on the 2021 Hartford count.

The Christmas Bird Count is a paradigm example of citizen science, the involvement of the public in scientific research. Volunteers make such large-scale surveys possible.

Furthermore, Christmas Bird Count data are immensely valuable. Because counts cover the same areas and follow the same protocols year after year, the data allow scientists to track fluctuations in early-winter bird populations.

You never know what birds might be around in December. On December 18, 2022, a South Windsor residence hosted a Black?chinned Hummingbird, Connecticut’s biggest surprise for the Christmas Bird Count. It was only the second time that this western hummingbird species, which usually winters along the Gulf Coast, had been documented in the state.

Get Involved

Consider participating in the Christmas Bird Count! It is a lot of fun and is open to anyone regardless of experience. Birds in your yards are just as important as those in the field. See the Hartford Audubon website, and contact the Hartford count compiler, Jay Kaplan ([email protected]), if you are interested in participating. This year’s Hartford count is this Sunday, December 17.

Learn More

If you wish to learn more about the history of ornithology, the Wood Memorial Library holds the Hartford Audubon Society records. This collection includes field notes from Hartford Audubon members spanning 1909-1997, which, like the Christmas Bird Count, allow researchers to track shifts in the distribution and abundance of birds. Historical data are crucial for understanding climate change, and we hope to digitize these records.

A report of Black Guillemot from the Hartford Audubon Society card files. Black Guillemots belong to the auk family, best known for the Atlantic Puffin, breeding on the rocky shores and islands of Maine and Canada. Guillemots typically spend the winters offshore on the Atlantic Ocean. Yet for some reason, one was present on the Connecticut River in South Windsor on January 1, 1934. This remains the only inland record of this species for Connecticut and one of only a few for the northeastern U.S. We are lucky to have a written description from Hartford Bird Study Club members.

For Further Reading

 - LeBaron, Geoff. “The 123rd Christmas Bird Count Summary.” Audubon. December 5, 2023. https://www.audubon.org/news/123rd-christmas-bird-count-summary.
 - Hartford Audubon society website. https://www.hartfordaudubon.org/.