Idyllwild Christmas Bird Count results
By Robin Roberts
Contributed
Prior to 1900, there was a Christmas tradition to hunt as many birds as possible. Fortunately, an ornithologist named Frank Chapman offered a new tradition — count and identify all the birds you can find in a 24-hour period.
This new tradition, the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count, has continued for 120 years.
Not only is it a great way to spend a day during the holiday season, but this valuable long-term data is helpful to researchers on the state of birds in our changing world.
On Saturday, Dec.19, eight teams of 12 birders started looking for birds (owls) while most of us were still sleeping.
The Idyllwild Christmas Bird Count ranges about 8,000 feet altitudinally from Tahquitz Peak down to Bautista Canyon. These dedicated birders searched for birds in a 15-mile diameter circle.
Despite the challenges of the pandemic this year, the Idyllwild team recorded 107 species of birds in the area.
Everyone had their own favorite moment — whether it was seeing a familiar resident bird like the white-headed woodpecker or encountering someone new.
If you would like to see a complete list of the birds seen during the count or be added to the list of counters next year, contact Robin Roberts at [email protected].
The more participants, the better, since there are many birds that did not get counted.
