Every year, between December 14th and January 5th, dedicated volunteers brave various weather conditions to participate in the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC) across the country.
In Indiana, birders and nature enthusiasts rise before dawn to join the longest running wildlife census. The Audubon Christmas Bird Count involves over 70,000 volunteer bird counters in 2,400+ locations, providing crucial data for bird population health at a scale that professional scientists could never accomplish alone.
Data compiled in Indiana will record every individual bird and bird species seen in a specified area, contributing to a vast citizen science network that continues a tradition stretching back more than 100 years. Indiana Audubon contributes to this citizen science effort, providing information on the various counts and producing a comprehensive summary.
NATIONAL AUDUBON CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT DATES
The 2023 Christmas Bird Count will take place from December 14 to January 4. In Indiana, there are several count locations, each with its own unique date and contact person.
To participate in a count (or several!), go to the National Audubon Society’s interactive map. You can zoom in on Indiana and the area where you want to help. Click on one of the circle icons to get the compiler’s contact info and reach out!
For your data to be included in the larger CBC database, your circle must be an officially sanctioned National Audubon count. Some of the previous Indiana count locations are listed below.
- Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge
- Bremen
- Brown County
- Cass County
- Crane Naval Weapons Support Center
- Eagle Creek Valley
- Elkhart County
- Evansville
- Fort Wayne
- Gene Stratton-Porter Historic Site
- Gnaw Bone
- Goose Pond
- Greenfield
- Hamilton County
- Hancock County
- Hanover-Madison
- Indiana Dunes National Park West
- Indiana Dunes State Park
- Indianapolis
- Jamestown
- Johnson County
- Knox County
- Lafayette
- Lake Monroe
- LaPorte County
- Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary
- McCormick’s Creek State Park
- Michaela Farm-Oldenburg
- Muncie
- Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge
- North Liberty
- Oakland City
- Ohio River
- Patoka Lake
- Pigeon River Fish and Wildlife Area
- Pike County
- Pokagon
- Posey County
- Putnam County
- Richmond
- South Bend
- Southern Adams County
- Southern Lake County
- Southwest Allen County
- Spring Mill State Park
- Sullivan County
- Terre Haute
- Tippecanoe
- Topeka
- Tri-County Rochester
- Turkey Run State Park
- Evansville
- Warrick County
- Wells County
- Western Gibson County
- Willow Slough-Iroquois Preserves
- Whitewater State Park
Remember to check the National Audubon Society CBC Map for the most up to date count locations!