Counting birds first began in 1900 when U.S. ornithologist Frank M. Chapman first proposed replacing the traditional Christmas “Side Hunt,” a contest in which participants competed to kill and bring back the most birds and small wildlife, with a more conservation-minded activity. Thanks to Chapman, the annual Christmas Bird Count has been going strong for over a century and has led to a host of other organized count activities that help provide a real-time snap shot of the distribution and numbers of bird populations across North America and the world.

Information gathered during these bird counts, provides critical data to researchers as they investigate factors that affect bird populations over a long period of time at specific times during the year. Comparing bird counts, photographs and other data on an annual basis provides insight into species’ health, how disease is spread, changing trends in migration and distribution, and much more. The long term perspective is vital for conservationists. It informs strategies to protect birds and their habitat, and helps identify environmental issues with implications for people as well, including indicators and implications of climate change.