Every year, thousands of volunteers identify and count birds during Audubon's Christmas Bird Count (CBC). The annual count—which is in its 120th year—helps researchers, conservation biologists, and others study North American bird populations over time.

The first Christmas Bird Count (CBC) took place on December 25, 1900 when 27 participants counted and identified about 18,500 birds, mostly in the northeastern US. Today, volunteers brave snow and chilly temperatures to identify and count birds throughout the United States, Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands. Last year, 2,585 counts were completed and 59.2 million birds were reported!

What birds will we see this year? Learn more about CBC and find a count near you. Anyone can participate in the Christmas Bird Count, which takes place from December  to January. The CBC takes place in “count circles” that focus on specific geographic areas. Every circle has a leader, so even if you are a beginner birdwatcher, you'll be able to count birds with an experienced birder and contribute data to the longest-running wildlife census. If your home happens to be within the boundaries of a count circle, you can count the birds that visit your backyard feeder.