The Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count starts this weekend in Wyoming.
The counters are volunteers who go out in various locations across the state and document the number and types of birds they see.
Longtime participant Jane Dorn says the count started in response to the popular tradition of Christmas bird hunting.
“The purpose of the bird count originally was to give people something else to do other than go out and hunt birds on Christmas day,” Dorn said.
Since then, the count has become an important tool for tracking bird population trends.
Counts will be held in about 20 locations across Wyoming over the next few weeks.
