Eagle-eyed Poplar Bluff volunteers tracked more than 500 birds in the last annual Christmas Bird Count, and organizers hope to see this year’s annual event match or top that event.
The Poplar Bluff Bird Count has been conducted for over 25 years and is part of a national tradition, according to Bruce Beck, who compiles the count for the area. Volunteers spotted many European starlings last year, but also tracked a purple finch, two mute swans and a mourning dove, among some 30 species recorded.
Bird-watchers of all ages and all levels of experience are invited take part in conservation with this year’s events, which will occur in Poplar Bluff and other areas of the region.
The Mingo Christmas Bird Count begins at 6 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14, at Mingo National Wildlife Refuge. Volunteers should arrive at The County Kitchen, 122 W. Richardson Ave., Puxico, for breakfast and area assignments. Volunteers will observe and count birds on foot or from vehicles. Maps and other materials will be provided.
The Big Spring Christmas Bird Count starts at 8 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, and covers Big Spring Park in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. Volunteers should meet at the National Parks Service headquarters in Van Buren. Area assignments and materials will be handed out before volunteers depart to observe and count birds on foot or from their vehicles.
The Poplar Bluff Christmas Bird Count brings conservation to residents’ backyards. The count opens at 7 a.m. Friday, Dec. 23. Volunteers working alone or in teams, on foot or by car, will count all the birds in a 15-mile diameter circle centered at the junction of Pine Street and Westwood Boulevard in Poplar Bluff. Families can also count from home by recording the birds visiting their feeders throughout the day. Mobile volunteers will meet at Hardee’s, 101 S. Westwood Blvd., for area assignments.
The count data will be submitted to the National Audubon Society and will be invaluable for understanding birds and their constantly changing environment. Christmas Bird Counts have been held in the U.S. since the year 1900, since then expanding across the Western Hemisphere with thousands of volunteers.
Sign-ups are due the day before the event. Beck will provide volunteers with a map, detailed instructions and a checklist. Whether joining a traveling team or counting birds at home, participants need to contact him in advance. To sign up or get more information, contact Beck at beckbugs42@gmail.com or 573-776-5305.
The 15-mile diameter Poplar Bluff circle encompasses 177 square miles of diverse habitat, including the City of Poplar Bluff, rural homes and farms, national forest land, cropland, swamps, the Black River and many streams. The count totals have ranged from 58 to 72 species and 100,000 to almost a million birds. In 24 hours from midnight-to-midnight volunteers will try to cover as much of the area as possible, counting the total number of birds by species.
All persons interested in birds are welcome to participate. Volunteers can count birds on a set route by car, on foot, or counting birds at home feeders.