ONEONTA - The Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society is calling on residents across the region to take part in one of the longest-running citizen science efforts in the world: the annual Christmas Bird Count.
Launched in 1900, the Christmas Bird Count is the oldest and among the largest community-driven wildlife surveys in the Western Hemisphere. This year marks the 57th season that the Delaware-Otsego chapter has participated. Volunteers will fan out across three designated count areas on separate dates during the three-week count period.
Organizers say birders of all experience levels — including first-time participants — are welcome.
“There are many ways to contribute,” the chapter noted, inviting people to join field teams that walk or drive preassigned routes, or to tally the birds that visit their backyard feeders and woodlots.
Those interested in joining a field team are encouraged to contact the coordinator for their area at least a week in advance to see if additional counters are needed. Participants who have taken part in previous years will be contacted directly.
Residents who prefer to stay closer to home can still help by serving as “feeder watchers,” counting and recording the birds they see from a stationary location, including from their own windows. To determine whether a home falls within one of the official count circles, organizers direct participants to an online map, where users can zoom in on the local area.
Additional background on the Christmas Bird Count is available through the National Audubon Society.
Three local counts are scheduled:
• Oneonta/Otsego County area — Sunday, Dec. 14
Coordinator: Sandy Bright — brights@hartwick.edu; 607-287-4465
• Fort Plain/Montgomery County area — Saturday, Dec. 27
Coordinator: Charlie Scheim — scheimc@hartwick.edu; 607-434-4880
• Delaware County area — Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026
Coordinator: Pam Peters — ovenb1rdp@gmail.com; 607-829-6545
For general inquiries, the Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society can be reached through publicity chairperson Susan O’Handley at 607-643-5680 or info@doas.us
