COMMUNITY SCIENCE
Birding with a Purpose
Do you keep lists of birds you observe? Do you like sharing your sightings? Do you wish you could do something to help conserve birds and their habitats? Birders like you are helping in many ways through community science (or citizen science), a way to contribute data for scientists studying bird populations. You don’t have to be a professional ornithologist — you only need to be able to recognize a few familiar birds, and to be willing to learn some simple rules for collecting and submitting your bird records. Our changing climate and landscape makes it more important than ever to monitor our bird populations as they deal with these existential threats.
Climate Watch
Over the coming decades, climate change will lead to major changes in ecosystems. Plant biomes will gradually change, and with them the insects and seeds that many birds depend on. Some migratory birds follow paths imprinted in their genes, and adapting to such changes may not be quick or easy. In some cases, suitable habitat will become more widespread; in others, more localized. What will the birds do?
A group of scientists at the National Audubon Society has modeled changes in bird populations over the coming 30 years. Read about the Survival by Degrees report….
Map showing predicted range gain and loss for Mountain Bluebird in western North America, assuming a 2 degree C warming. Data from Climate Change will help test and refine these predictions.
In order to test and refine these predictions, Audubon established Climate Watch, a community science project to gather long-term data on changing bird populations across North America. Observers target twelve bird species, selected for their familiarity and their sensitivity to climate change. Counts of these species are distributed in 10-kilometer squares during two month-long survey seasons in summer and winter.
Sangre de Cristo Audubon Society has participated in Climate Watch since 2019 and is always seeking new participants.
Contact
Albert Shultz, local coordinator for Climate Watch
shultzaw@gmail.com or via phone: 505-757-2754 or 505-699-1521
Map showing claimed squares for Climate Watch in the Santa Fe area. In addition, our observers are monitoring squares as far away as Farmington, Chama and Raton.
How can I help with Climate Watch?
It will take about half a day, but maybe as little as 2 hours. You will need to visit 12 locations within a 10 kilometer (6 mile) square — the locations must represent suitable habitat for a particular species. At each location, count birds for five minutes. That’s it!
The species of interest in our area are:
Mountain Bluebird
Western Bluebird
White-Breasted Nuthatch
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch
Spotted Towhee
Lesser Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
What’s this for? Climate Watch is a community science program ogranized by the National Audubon Society. Its purpose is to monitor changes in bird populations throughout North America during changing climate. Climate Watch observers from Sangre de Cristo Audubon have been participating since 2019. If you go birding and don’t mind sharing your lists, here’s a way to contribute to a larger effort. You can go to https://www.audubon.org/conservation/climate-watch for more background.
Can I have a partner for my counts? Yes, you can work alone or with one or two other people.
Can I count birds at home? Yes, home can be one of your twelve locations, as long as there is enough similar habitat for your species nearby for the remaining locations. The location points must be at least 200 meters apart.
Can I count birds that I hear but don’t see? Yes. If you know bird sounds, they are a great help and you will find and report more birds.
Can I take more than one day to visit my twelve locations? No, all twelve should be visited in a single day, preferably in the morning as birds are usually more active then.
Can I count on several days and pick the day with the most birds? No. Even counts with no birds provide valid data, as long as they sample the correct habitat and are done under reasonable conditions (that is, not during severe weather, heavy traffic, etc.). But it is OK to visit your points for a trial run, and then return on a different day for the actual count.
How do I report my counts? There are several options. You can use eBird, making a separate list of all birds for each point location. There’s also an Audubon mobile app or web portal for reporting just the target species. Or you can send paper lists or whatever you have to your Coordinator.
If I start now, can I do this again next year? Yes! Summer counts are every year, May 15 through June 15. And there is also a winter season, Jan. 15 – Feb. 15. For some species, the same locations will work for both seasons. And it is ideal to continue counting your same points for as many years as possible. But don’t worry — if you cannot continue, we will make those points available for a new observer.
How do I start? Contact your local coordinator, who will distribute people to the right places and help them get started. This includes helping you pick the locations for your counts, although you can also do this yourself.
See the Climate Watch website at https://www.audubon.org/conservation/climate-watch for more information and background on the how and why.
Reporting Rare Birds
Like all states, New Mexico has a Bird Records Committee that compiles, validates, and publishes sightings of unusual birds. This process is managed by the New Mexico Ornithological Society, which also holds conferences, field trips, and publishes NMOS Field Notes quarterly. Many birders also use online tools such as eBird or iNaturalist; the enormous popularity of these databases gives them a richness and currency that is second to none, though they do not completely replace the traditional NMOS reports which have a much longer history. All rare bird reports should have detailed descriptions and photographs and/or sound recordings whenever possible.
Christmas Bird Counts
The CBC tradition has been a popular way to meet other birders and help with Audubon’s longest-running community science program. Christmas Bird Counts take place every winter from December 14 through January 5. Each CBC covers a circular area 15 miles in diameter and runs for one day. There are over a dozen CBCs in our Chapter’s extent!
For more information, see National Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count page.