The Charles Town and Inwood Christmas Bird Counts (CBC) are part of a hemisphere-wide count that has been conducted every year since 1900 under the auspices of the National Audubon Society. Prior to this, hunters went out annually to compete with each other to see who could bring back the largest pile of feathers or fur.
Around this time, people were noticing declines in bird populations. Ornithologist Frank M. Chapman proposed a new holiday tradition; to count living birds instead of hunting them.
Currently, over 62,000 volunteers across the Americas participate in each year’s count. The purpose is to monitor the status and distribution of early-winter bird populations. The data collected from this volunteer-based effort have been folded into what is now the longest-running database in ornithology, representing over 100 years of continuous information. This database is used to help spot trends in bird populations, which in turn can help identify shifts in environmental conditions.
Click here to access the Christmas Bird Count database.
PVAS volunteers have organized and conducted the Christmas Bird Count for the Charles Town and Inwood circles for 30 years. Both experienced and novice birders are welcome to join in on these annual Eastern Panhandle counts. Novice volunteers will be teamed with those who have more experience. All those who participate must register beforehand with PVAS.
See our events calendar to register for the Inwood or Charles Town counts.
For more information, contact: Bob Dean at bobdean52@gmail.com.
CBC Maps
- Charles Town – Full Circle
- Inwood – Full Circle
- Washington County Circle
- Map of All Audubon Circles
CBC Forms
- Tally Sheet and Effort Form – Charles Town
- Tally Sheet and Effort Form – Inwood
- CBC Rare Bird Documentation Form