Avid bird-watchers and anyone interested in becoming a "citizen scientist" might want to grab their binoculars and head to Key Largo Friday, January 3rd or Palm Beach and Hendry Counties on Saturday, January 4th.
The Christmas season may be coming to a close but the Aububon Society's 114th Annual Christmas Bird Count is still in full swing. The nationwide count is done mostly by volunteers and measures the health of North America's bird population.Margaret England is a spokeswoman for the Hendry-Glades chapter of Audubon. She says last year's count in that sector alone documented 109 bird species and more than 83,000 individual birds.
"These counts are important because they help scientists document bird species and their frequency and their migratory patterns", England said.
Each bird count takes place in an established 15-mile wide circle. There are over 2,300 circles nationwide, and one of them is a Stormwater Treatment Area in Hendry County.
South Florida Water Management District spokesman Gabe Margasak says such areas have become popular with birdwatchers over the last few years:
"These treatment areas contain just the right mix of aquatic vegetation and water levels to attract all kinds of wading birds such as roseate spoonbills and ibis", Margasak said.
Volunteers in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties already conducted their bird counts in mid-December. The yearly Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count is the longest-running "citizen science" wildlife survey in the world.