Wyoming Birders Take to the Field for Holiday Season Bird Counts

Wyoming Public Radio and Wyoming News Now contributed to this report.

Across Wyoming this holiday season, bird lovers, nature nerds and curious residents are grabbing binoculars and notebooks to take part in the Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count – a long-running tradition that blends citizen science with the chilly fun of spotting feathered friends.

About a dozen towns around the state are hosting their own counts this weekend, inviting volunteers to track winter bird populations in designated areas. The events happen once on a chosen day between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5, with local groups fanning out around a central point to note every bird they spot within about a 7½-mile radius.

In Cheyenne, for example, birders will start at the state Capitol and split up into smaller teams to hit known birding hot spots, tallying species and numbers throughout the day – from common Canada and cackling geese to occasional surprise guests like trumpeter swans.

The counts aren’t just about spotting pretty birds. They feed into a century-old data set that helps scientists and conservationists track how winter bird populations are changing over time – trends that can reveal shifts in habitat use, climate impacts and the spread of invasive species.

Grant Frost of the Cheyenne chapter said the tradition has been going strong locally for 40–50 years, and that the gatherings are a great way to connect people with nature – plus give participants a shot at seeing something they might never expect on a winter bird walk, like rare waxwings or other oddball visitors.

Other communities joining in include Green River, Lander, Cody, Sheridan, Casper, Albany County and Jackson Hole, each hosting their own count with maps and meetup details available through Audubon’s online resources.

The Christmas Bird Count is one of the oldest and most widespread citizen science efforts in North America, dating back to 1900 when it replaced holiday hunting traditions with bird-watching and counting. Today, tens of thousands of volunteers gather data each season, helping shape long-term conservation work while enjoying the challenge of spotting and recording birds in winter’s unpredictable conditions.

Whether you’re a seasoned spotter or just love a winter walk, the counts offer a fresh way to celebrate the season while contributing to real science – one chirp and flutter at a time.