Madison is home to thousands of bird-lovers, just like you. The annual Christmas Bird Count is a great citizen science project that involves meeting other enthusiastic birders and helping collect important data about birds in the at the same time!
We invite you to join the Madison-area Christmas Bird Count Indoor Sit & Birdwatching event—an accessible, inclusive opportunity for folks of skill levels to enjoy some birding and camaraderie while contributing data to the count.
This event will be held inside the Frautschi Family Learning Center at Olbrich Botanical Gardens, which has a wonderful view of the gardens and landscaping that birds enjoy. The room also features windows that have been treated to prevent bird-window collisions, so you can learn more about that if you wish! We will have cookies and cider to share.
Together, we will observe and document the birds and species we see as a group. The data will be shared with the CBC compliers and incorporated into the day’s totals.
Bring your curiosity and good cheer, and if you’d like, your own own binoculars, scope, or field guides (we will also have extra binoculars and scopes available to use).
We will provide hot chocolate, cider, and snacks for attendees.
Led by Kaitlin Svabek and Brenna Marsicek of Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance
Accessibility features
Family-friendly and beginning birders are welcome
Wheelchair, white-can, stroller, and walker accessible (all paved, no steps)
Distance traveled: fewer than 100yds, primarily seated event
Registration is appreciated but not required:
More about the Christmas Bird Count
The Christmas Bird Count, held annually throughout North America between mid-December and early-January, is a snapshot of where bird species are found during the winter season. Birders count the number and individuals of species over a 24 hour period, and submit the data to National Audubon. This project is important for estimating distributions and populations, and find oddities in nature (e.g., what is that clay-colored sparrow doing in Wisconsin in December?). It is considered the longest-running formal citizen science project in the nation, now in it’s 122nd year! Learn more here.
Cover image by Kelly Colgan Azar. A Dark-eyed Junco perches on a dried grass with snow on the ground below.
