A New Generation at the Christmas Bird Count

As a millennial who developed a chicken obsession earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic, my image of what it means to be a “birder,” and particularly a “younger birder,” has modified fairly a bit within the eight years since I joined my first Christmas Chicken Depend (CBC). And that’s a fantastic change for the world of birding and conservation. 

Throughout my first December rely in 2017, I used to be the youngest individual in our group by an excellent margin. So I’m particularly impressed by what I’ve seen extra just lately: my final two CBC staff leaders have been each highschool college students with a deep ardour for birds.

This 12 months, my CBC journey chief was Preston Hinds, a Venice Excessive Faculty scholar and president of his college’s ornithology membership. Preston didn’t find yourself main our rely at the Audubon Center at Debs Park in Los Angeles by coincidence—he knew Debs Park (and the birds who thrive there) properly, as a result of his ardour for birds grew throughout his time as an Audubon Youth Chief on the middle. 

Our rely included Allen’s Hummingbirds; a Purple-tailed Hawk; woodpeckers like Purple-breasted Sapsucker and Northern Flicker; corvids together with California Scrub-Jay and Widespread Raven; and a wide range of songbirds comparable to Oak Titmouse, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Bewick’s Wren, and Hermit Thrush. We additionally noticed a number of finches, together with Home Finches and a Purple Finch that was an particularly pleasant spotlight and a lifer for a lot of members of our group, together with a incredible lineup of sparrows (White-crowned, Golden-crowned, Tune, and Lincoln’s), towhees (California and Noticed), and warblers (Orange-crowned and Yellow-rumped).

Preston deliberate to go to a different part of Debs Park to examine on a Mountain Chickadee he anticipated to seek out once more. Most of our group was able to name it a day, however I used to be intrigued by the prospect of recognizing a Mountain Chickadee in LA. Preston warned me it was a steep hike, and he was proper!

By the point we reached the highest, I used to be catching my breath and taking within the view, trying down to identify the Audubon Middle at Debs Park beneath us, whereas Preston centered on the explanation we climbed such a steep hill. “There,” he mentioned, choosing up the Mountain Chickadee’s “fee-bee, fee-bee” name. Inside seconds, he had eyes on the chicken and helped me spot it. The chickadee appeared too busy finding snacks to pay us any consideration. Preston remarked on how cool it was to contemplate that this particular person chicken could possibly be his actual “life chicken” from the 12 months prior, reaping the advantages of habitat restoration efforts at Debs Park and discovering the proper spot to overwinter earlier than heading again to the mountains for nesting season.

Preston’s enthusiasm was contagious. And his confidence and care in guiding me to the chickadee, and our group by way of the CBC survey, mentioned a lot about what’s doable when younger folks have actual alternatives to attach with nature proper right here in Los Angeles. It was inspiring not solely to see a younger birder main our group as a part of a hemispheric group science custom, but in addition to witness the ripple impact of sturdy youth programming on the Audubon Middle at Debs Park.

Applications like Audubon Youth Leaders assist younger folks like Preston construct the abilities to steer and construct a long-lasting connection to birds. They carry that zeal ahead – sharing it with their friends and guiding others to see, respect, and take care of our shared birds and the locations that assist them thrive.