The Charles Town and Inwood Christmas Bird Counts are part of a hemisphere-wide count that has been conducted every year since 1900 under the auspices of the National Audubon Society.

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.

Currently, over 62,000 volunteers across the Americas participate in each year’s count. Click here to access the Christmas Bird Count database.

PVAS volunteers have organized and conducted the Christmas Bird Count for the Charles Town and Inwood circles for 30 years. Both experienced and novice birders are welcome to join in this season’s Eastern Panhandle counts. Novice volunteers will be teamed with those who have more experience. All those who participate must register beforehand with PVAS.

To register for the Inwood or Charles Town counts and/or to obtain more information, contact: Bob Dean at bobdean52@gmail.com or (304) 671-4995