The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) in the Charles Town and Inwood circles has been a cherished tradition in the Eastern Panhandle for more than 70 years. Birders of all experience levels are welcome to participate—either by covering a section of the count circle or by counting birds at home feeders if you live within the circle—and all participants must register in advance with PVAS.
To make the CBC more accessible, we now offer guided participation opportunities that pair novice birders with experienced leaders for both the Inwood and Charles Town counts. Visit our Events Calendar for more information, count dates, and to register, or contact KC Walters at Katelyn@PotomacAudubon.org for more information.
Participant Resources
CBC Maps
Other Resources
History
The Charles Town and Inwood Christmas Bird Counts (CBC) are part of a hemisphere-wide count that has been conducted every year since 1900 under the auspices of the National Audubon Society. Prior to this, hunters went out annually to compete with each other to see who could bring back the largest pile of feathers or fur.
Around this time, people were noticing declines in bird populations. Ornithologist Frank M. Chapman proposed a new holiday tradition; to count living birds instead of hunting them.
Currently, over 62,000 volunteers across the Americas participate in each year’s count. The purpose is to monitor the status and distribution of early-winter bird populations. The data collected from this volunteer-based effort have been folded into what is now the longest-running database in ornithology, representing over 100 years of continuous information. This database is used to help spot trends in bird populations, which in turn can help identify shifts in environmental conditions.
Click here to access the Christmas Bird Count database.
