Register by clicking on the count you wish to participate in:
OAKLAND CBC — SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18
SAN FRANCISCO CBC — TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27
RICHMOND CBC — JANUARY 1, 2023
What Is The Christmas Bird count?
The Annual Christmas Bird Count, sponsored by the National Audubon Society and conducted by volunteers, is the longest running community science survey in North America. The counts attempt to record every individual bird encountered within a defined 15-mile diameter — about 177 square miles — during one calendar day.
Every winter hundreds of Bay Area birders take part in Golden Gate Audubon’s Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs). From before dawn until dusk, they trek through parks, neighborhoods, and wetlands, venture out in boats on the bay, and skirt reservoirs and bayside mudflats to identify the species and count the numbers of birds at every site.
CBC data is an invaluable tool for scientists studying bird populations and was one of the key sources of data in National Audubon’s September 2014 report on NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS AND CLIMATE CHANGE.
Oakland CBC
How to participate in our Christmas Bird Counts
Spend a fun day outdoors with a team counting individual birds and species, and contributing to our understanding of bird populations! Both beginners and experienced birders welcome. We are sponsoring THREE counts in winter 2022-23. Stay tuned for more information about CBC dinners happening after each count.
Register by clicking on the count you wish to participate in:
Oakland CBC — Sunday, December 18
San Francisco CBC — Tuesday, December 27
Richmond CBC — January 1, 2023
CBC Compilers Contact Information
SF – David Assmann and Siobhan Ruck
Sfcbcount@gmail.com
Oakland – Dawn Lemoine and Viviana Wolinsky
Oaklandcbc@goldengateaudubon.o
Richmond -Derek Heins and Karyn Noel
Richmondcbc@goldengateaudubon.
About the Christmas Bird Counts
Every December, hundreds of Bay Area birders take part in Golden Gate Audubon’s Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs). From before dawn until dusk, they trek through parks, neighborhoods, and wetlands, venture out in boats on the bay, and skirt reservoirs and bayside mudflats to identify the species and count the numbers of birds at every site.
Annual Christmas Bird Counts, sponsored by the National Audubon Society and conducted by volunteers, are held throughout the U.S. and Canada. The counts attempt to record every individual bird encountered within a defined 15-mile diameter — about 177 square miles — during one calendar day. The counts began on December 25, 1900, when a small group of bird lovers led by scientist Frank Chapman posed an alternative to the Christmastime “side hunt,” in which teams competed to see who could shoot the most birds and small mammals. Chapman’s group identified, counted, and recorded all the birds they saw, thus founding one of the world’s first and largest “community science” initiatives. The 2022 season marks the 122nd year of Christmas Bird Counts.
CBC data is an invaluable tool for scientists studying bird populations and was one of the key sources of data in National Audubon’s September 2014 report on North American birds and climate change.
Our Oakland and San Francisco counts have ranked among the top 25 nationwide in terms of numbers of species found. In recent years, our Oakland count has had more participants in the field than any other count in the world!
- The Oakland count circle extends from Treasure Island northeast to the San Pablo Reservoir in Contra Costa County, and south to St. Mary’s College in Moraga and the Oakland International Airport. (That includes not just Oakland but the cities of Alameda, Emeryville, Berkeley, Albany, Orinda, Moraga, and Lafayette.) With its wide variety of habitats, the Oakland count typically records more than 170 bird species. View a map of our Oakland count areas.
- The San Francisco count circle includes the north tower of the Golden Gate Bridge and all of San Francisco, and reaches down the peninsula to San Bruno Mountain and the wetlands north of the San Francisco International Airport. Also blessed with a wide variety of habitats, the San Francisco count generally tops 160 species. View a map of our San Francisco count areas.
- The Richmond count circle covers Richmond and adjacent areas including Point Pinole, Point Molate, and the Miller-Knox Shoreline.
Participants who aren’t able to spend a day in the field are welcome to join as Feeder Watchers, counting and reporting the birds in their backyards.
Each count day typically culminates with a festive dinner where final counts were tallied and stories exchanged about rare bird sightings and locations. Local CBC data are reviewed and then sent to National Audubon Society, where they provide valuable insight into past and present bird populations and the general health of our environment. Recent and historical CBC results are available on the National Audubon Society’s website.
For a look at what CBCs can tell us about changing Bay Area bird populations, see Bob Lewis’s post on our Golden Gate Birder blog about data from Oakland Christmas Bird Counts.
For past CBC results, please see:
2021 Oakland CBC Report and Tally (eBird Trip Report)
2019 Oakland CBC Report and 2019 Oakland CBC Tally
2019 SF CBC Report (preliminary info, blog post)
2018 Oakland CBC Report and 2018 Oakland Tally
2017 Oakland CBC Report and 2017 Oakland CBC Tally
2016 Oakland CBC Report and 2016 Oakland CBC Tally
2015 Oakland CBC Report and 2015 Oakland CBC Tally
2014 San Francisco count – blog post
2014 Oakland CBC Report and 2014 Oakland CBC Tally
2013 Oakland CBC Report and 2013 Oakland CBC Tally
2012_Oakland_CBC_Report and 2012 Oakland CBC Tally
2011 Oakland CBC Report and 2011 Oakland CBC Tally
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Looking for another count area? For the entire California list, check out Nature Alley.
Some local counts we recommend:
- Benicia
- East Contra Costa County
- Eastern Alameda County
- Contra Costa County
- Pt. Reyes Peninsula
- Marin