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The annual Banff-Christmas Bird Count (CBC) organized by the Bow Valley Naturalists took place on Saturday, December 20th. This was the 34th consecutive year for this event.
CBCs are done throughout North America and in some tropical areas in Central America, northern South America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands. The activity began over a century ago in the U.S. as a protest of the existing Christmas tradition in which teams competed to see who could shoot the most birds and other animals in one day. This year, more than 57,000 volunteers are expected to be involved in over 2000 locations. Results from these counts may be used to help track bird populations as they respond to global climate change.
Standard procedure for CBCs requires that counting be done during one 24 hour period within a designated circle of 24 km. diameter. The Banff-Canmore count circle has its centre on the Bow River below Mt. Rundle so as to include the Town of Banff west to Vermilion Lakes, and the Town of Canmore east to the Trans Canada – 1A Highway interchange.
This year (2008) 44 participants found a total of 36 species, well below the long-term average. The cold weather this year may be responsible for both the low number of participants and the low number of species. The total of 1834 individual birds was fewer than half the individual birds identified last year and the second fewest individual birds in more than 20 years . 
This massive, international volunteer ornithological effort is coordinated by the National Audubon Society and Bird Studies Canada. Participants over the age of 18 are asked to contribute $5.00 that is forwarded to these organizations to assist with costs of compiling all the data. After count results have been submitted, they may be viewed at: <http://www.audubon.org/bird/cbc> or <http://www.bsc-eoc.org/>
The Banff-Canmore count was followed by a potluck supper at the Banff Seniors Centre where results were compiled and stories exchanged about the day’s activities.
Details of this year’s count are posted at BC 1990-2008
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