These local-area counts are part of a Christmas Bird Count that has been conducted throughout the western hemisphere 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. To read information about all West Virginia Christmas Bird Counts please check here.

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

Christmas Bird Count Reports

The data from the Charles Town and Inwood CBCs is available online at http://www.christmasbirdcount.org. On the right side click on Results, Data & Research Then click Results, Current & Historical At the top of the page put your cursor on Current Year and 2 options pop up; choose and follow links to your count of interest. For count results enter year of interest, country, and state and codes for local counts will pop up. The Charles Town count is WVCT. The Inwood count is WVIN. As counts are completed they are checked and then available online.

Bird Count Maps