Butler birdwatchers keep track of population with longstanding study
PENN TWP — Before the National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count began in 1900, bird watchers were unaware that bluebirds were on the “verge of extinction.”
Environmental agencies began conservation efforts to maintain the endangered bird species’ population after learning of its decline, to the point where its conservation status is no longer of concern, according to the National Audubon Society.
Each year, tens of thousands of people across the nation continue the longstanding tradition of the Christmas Bird Count, including in Butler County, where there are several coordinated events for anyone to participate in the count.
Chris Kubiak, education director with the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania, said that even in a place like Butler County, where birds are more scarce in the winter compared with southern areas, it’s important to take a census of birds each year. He said individual chapters of the National Audubon Society report numbers to the national organization each year to identify populations that might need protection.
“This is one of multiple different ways of bird surveying throughout the year, and this is the oldest continuous science program in the country,” Kubiak said. “Without the knowledge of what’s going on with certain species, we don't know that we need to conserve them.”
The Western Pennsylvania chapter had a demonstration on Saturday, Nov. 29, where people interested in participating in the Christmas Bird Count could learn the ropes of how to take bird census on their own. Ryan Stauffer, environmental educator with the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania, walked people through Succop Nature Park that day, after introducing them to methods of tracking birds and identifying certain species.
Modern technology has helped improve the potential for anyone to partake in the bird count, Stauffer said, with a phone application being able to track and even identify birds through photos.
“People can report their own sightings on the app, eBird,” Stauffer said.
Succop Nature Park will take its Christmas Bird Count on Sunday, Dec. 28. Buffalo Creek Nature Park in Buffalo Township will have its count on Saturday, Dec. 20. Anyone can attend these sessions, which will be facilitated by staff of each park who will help attendees to contribute to the count.
“On the same day of the count, we have a Kids' Christmas Bird Count at Succop,” Kubiak said. “Families can come out that day and work with one of our naturalists and count the birds at Succop, and that gets submitted to me — they're actually doing real science.”
Kubiak explained that people can even count birds from their homes for the count. Information about the count is available on the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania’s website, which people can use to learn how to participate without attending one of the society’s parks.
Kubiak said the count at Succop Nature Park is for the area in and around the park.
“This is a daylong census of birds within a defined geographic area. A 15-mile diameter circle centered around Mars,” Kubiak said. “For the public, even if they have no experience with birding, we will pair them up with people who can show them the ropes.”
People contributing to the count from their own homes will provide numbers for whichever count is the nearest to them. So people within 15 miles of Mars will contribute the numbers from their count to the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania. Kubiak explained that people can use eBird to find their local count and track birds for its count.
“If you go out in the count circle, you can just stay in your own yard and count the birds or count the birds at your feeders,” Kubiak said.
Kubiak added that even people who missed the educational session in November at Succop can still visit the park on the day of the count to get a crash course on counting, and have some fun along the way.
“Some people are intimidated, but don't worry, we will show you what to do,” Kubiak said. “When we pair these new or novice birders with the experts, we take you out in the field and show you a lot of different things that go into it.”
Last year’s Christmas Bird Count had the highest number of circles surveyed yet for the program, surpassing the previous high record of 2,677, which was recorded in 2023.
Kubiak said Butler County’s coordinated bird count locations show diversity in count locations — the county is made up of rural and developed municipalities, which each affect bird migration patterns in different ways.
“The southern portion has been rapidly developing over the years — the other two-thirds is pretty rural,” he said. “It gives us a really important contrast in how development is impacting bird species and how the rural population of bird species is doing.”
Stauffer said that when birds are migrating in the winter, “they will show up on radar.” The change in bird populations in the winter helps make the count more manageable, because there are fewer birds in general than in the warm seasons.
Kubiak also said findings from the count in recent years have demonstrated that birds are sticking around the northern part of the country longer than even just a few decades ago.
“We definitely see evidence of a warming climate in winter — regardless, the general trend is clearly showing a lot of birds that 25 years ago wouldn’t be in the count circle,” Kubiak said.
The Christmas Bird Count begins at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 28, at Succop Nature Park, 185 Airport Road, Penn Township. For more information on the count, visit the Audubon Society’s website at aswp.org.
