A Year in the Life of a CBC Compiler

A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF A CBC COMPILER
By Dan Murphy 

THE BASICS

The Christmas Bird Count has been taking place every year since 1900. The first count took place on Christmas Day, but in modern times the count takes place from December 14^th through January 5^th with counters covering 2,369 count circles across the Americas. Unlike other more informal counts, the CBC is a survey designed to assess bird numbers within the count circle as accurately as possible.  Like the mail, CBCs go on a designated day, rain or shine, sleet or snow. Many years, of course, we have the joy of birding on a beautiful San Francisco winter day. 

CBC COUNTERS

The most important part of a CBC is the team of dedicated birders who give a day each holiday season to count birds.  These counters make the CBC the great tradition that it is and they all come for different reasons, some birders are interested in spotting rare birds, others want to count in a specific local park or patch, others are most excited about contributing to more than a century of data used to track bird populations.  In addition to the experienced cadre of birders who make up our primary CBC participants we also get beginners for whom the CBC is their first birding experience. Parents who want to introduce their children to nature during the holiday vacation are often welcome to make the CBC a family affair.  Some counts can accommodate people with varying ages and experience levels. The compiler is responsible for addressing the wants and needs of all participants to get the best possible data for the count circle. If you have a question about participating it is always best to reach out to your local compiler and ask!

THE CBC CIRCLE

So where do these dedicated birders count?  A standard CBC count circle is an area with a 7.5 mile radius.  The only exceptions are pelagic counts (on the ocean or some large lakes) which don’t use circles but instead follow a linear distance.

Prior to the count, the compiler uses the original count circle map denoting the center of the circle and the outer perimeter to divide the area into smaller sections. Small groups of counters will be assigned different sections to better cover the entire circle. Not all counts operate exactly the same, in San Francisco we assign area leaders to each smaller section and participants sign up for a section or join their friends. 

WHEN DOES PREP START?

Murmurings of the San Francisco and Oakland CBCs, both sponsored by Golden Gate Audubon Society (GGAS), can usually be heard as early as August when people start asking about the date. Soon after, the compilers submit their initial publicity to the GGAS office.  If you’ve compiled a count for a year or more, you have your maps and forms ready to go, so the bulk of the fall work is getting the word out. The National Audubon office sends sample forms and a press release, which we tailor to meet our local needs. 

In October we review updates to the CBC website, and check in with our area leaders to confirm their participation.  Just as Halloween is approaching we put out the old trick-or-treat bag—that is, we open count registration and step back. 

REGISTRATION

 In mid-November we begin looking at registrations.  We usually get a range of abilities allowing us to match more experienced birders with new CBC participants.  November is also the time compilers contact property owners and agencies to get permission for entry on count day and for any pre-count scouting trips.  

COUNT DOWN TO THE COUNT

As count day comes around things start moving fast.  In San Francisco we notify people about their count assignments about 2 weeks prior to the count.  That gives everybody an opportunity to get in touch with their area leaders and perhaps get together to scout their area with maps and bird observation lists from previous years.

Meanwhile, the staff at the Golden Gate Audubon Society are securing a venue for the countdown dinner.  We use a caterer, but many CBC’s have a pot luck dinner or other way to celebrate a successful count.  Whatever the formula, this is the first chance for everyone to hear what birds were seen on count day and it provides a central location for area leaders to hand in checklists and other forms.

In the final days before the count keys and permits may have to be picked-up.  In larger urban areas like the Bay Area, it is a good idea to send out a press release the day before the count.  The news cycle moves fast and that initial press release that went out a few weeks before the count is often forgotten. This last minute reminder is often the best bet for getting news coverage.

COUNT DAY

On count day the compilers are in the field with all the other counters.  In addition to leading a section compilers are on call with the press who often call our cell phones for quotes and information on what we are seeing. But, interruptions aside, our primary goal is covering the count area. We keep a quick pace and cover an area much larger than we can do as thoroughly as we’d like but we record as many birds as we can, as accurately as we are able.  

At our post count dinner we have a countdown where each group leader gets a chance to talk about the highlights of the day.  Very often we hear about rare birds that will send birders back into the field for days or weeks to come.  One of the compilers collects the forms from each area leader and is off home to start the compilation process.  Keys and permits are collected and returned.

COMPILING AFTER THE COUNT

Compilers are named for their important post count duties. In the days and weeks after the count each area’s documents must be checked and entered in a database that records birds seen, time spent in the field, distance covered, contact information for participants and more.  Rare bird documentation is a major issue with the San Francisco Count.  We are fortunate to be located where some neotropical migrants manage to spend the winter and as conditions vary from year to year we regularly see rare birds on our CBC.  While exciting, each unusual bird report must be reviewed and independently confirmed if possible.  We make an effort to get photographs of all our rarest birds to confirm sighting and contribute the most accurate data possible to the CBC database.  Finally, when all our questions are answered and we have combed the input for errors we send our compiled report to National Audubon’s website. Our final responsibilities are to write an article for the Golden Gate Audubon website or for their newsletter, The Gull, and to prep the press release for the coming year. With that finished we try not to think about the CBC until the following August when it all starts again!