Stay in the know about wildlife, water quality, and ecosystems on Sanibel and Captiva Islands and in Southwest Florida
Join the Christmas Bird Count on Sanibel and Captiva!
On Saturday, Dec. 14, SCCF will be hosting the Sanibel-Captiva Christmas Bird Count along with the Sanibel Captiva Audubon Society. This count is a part of the 125th Christmas Bird Count, which will take place between Dec. 14, 2024 and Jan. 5, 2025.
We’re recruiting new and returning volunteers to participate in the Sanibel-Captiva count. If you are interested in joining us, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/3iMQWnztqmKwvz2F7
You do not need to be an expert birder to help with the count! We need individuals who can help drive, spot birds, record data, and tally numbers.
The home base for the event will be SCCF’s headquarters at 3333 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel, FL. Participants can pick up data sheets and refreshments (coffee, juice, donuts) whenever it is convenient for them, as early as 6:30 a.m. Teams will reconvene at SCCF HQ for tallying data throughout the day.
Upcoming Bird Walks
If you would like to get out with SCCF and San Cap Audubon to brush up on your birding skills, please consider joining us for a bird walk before the big day!
About the Christmas Bird Count
The Christmas Bird Count takes place annually between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5, with counts held across North America, Central America, and parts of South America. The first count was held in 1900, when some birders opted to count birds instead of shoot them, as was the previous Christmas tradition. The Sanibel-Captiva Christmas Bird Count, which is always held on the first Saturday of the count window, dates back to 1961, though some informal counts were held prior.
If you are interested in participating in the Christmas Bird Count, but can’t make it to Sanibel, click here to find out about counts that are going on near you: https://www.audubon.org/conservation/join-christmas-bird-count
Questions? Email SanCapCBC@gmail.com.
Nearby Counts
- Fort Myers, Dec. 16: Contact Charlie Ewell at anhinga42@comcast.net
- Orange River (North Fort Myers), Dec. 28: Contact Meg Rousher at megrousher@icloud.com
- Estero Bay, Dec. 29: Contact Robin Serne at rkserne@gmail.com
- Map of count circles: https://gis.audubon.org/christmasbirdcount/