About the Count:
The National Audubon Society has been conducting the Christmas Bird Count since 1899. These surveys are held in all parts of the country at the same time of the year. The goal of the count is to gather data that will help us better understand bird populations and trends. Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy has been coordinating the Central Loudoun Christmas Bird Count since 1997.

Learn more about the Christmas Bird Count.

Logistics of the Count:
A few weeks prior to the count, we send out an announcement to members and non-members alike who would like to participate in the count. Teams are formed. On the day of the count, teams meet up and go out for their nature walks to bird areas that range from Ashburn to Leesburg to Waterford. Participants keep a tally for the sector in which they are counting and submit the data at the end of the day.

At the end of the day, we hold a “Tally Rally” dinner as a thank you to participants as well as to share experiences from the day and preliminary data as it rolls in.

Beginner and experienced birders are all welcome! Join us for a few hours or a full day. Great for adults and families.

Sign Up for our Annual Christmas Bird Count:

Name: Email: Address: City: State: Zip: Telephone: Note: All of the above fields are required. We do not share email or address information with any organizations. This is for LWC purposes only so we can contact you if needed. How long would you like to count? (select from drop-down menu) Owling in the wee hours of morning (5am-ish) Morning (e.g. 8-11) Through lunch (e.g. 8-1) Into the Afternoon (e.g. 8-4) Afternoon (e.g. 1-4) Full day! (e.g. 8-6) Experience level: (select from drop-down menu) Beginning Birder Know the Common Species Experienced Birder Other Comments: A $5 fee is collected for adult count participants (over 18). This fee is passed through to Audubon and helps offset their cost of preparing the database of sightings and the publication of their nation-wide annual report.The $5 participation fee for this count will be waived for members of Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy as a member benefit. If you're not already a member, this would be a great time to Join! Please identify this picture (helps thwart spammers): Click to identify Bluebird Gray Tree Frog Silvery Checkerspot Butterfly Yellow-Billed Cuckoo Bluebird Nestbox With Eggs Dogwood Tree New to Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy? How did you find out about us?

What to Bring:

The Count Circle:

Our count circle is 15 miles in diameter (7.5 mile radius), covering an area of 177 square miles. Click on the image above to open a larger version as a PDF.

Bird Resources:

Things You Can Do For Birds: