An Annual Tradition
Add to over a century of citizen science data by participating in the annual Buffalo Bayou Christmas Bird Count. This Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is part of an ongoing program coordinated by the National Audubon Society. Each year, tens of thousands of volunteers in North and South America gather to count early-winter bird populations. The results are compiled into a database that is shared with federal and state authorities and used to study the long-term health and status of bird populations across North America.
The Buffalo Bayou CBC, which includes the Arboretum, averages 120 species, and it has become one of the most popular Christmas Bird Counts in Texas in recent years.
- Buffalo Bayou CBC – Get Involved
- CBC Basics – Tips for your First Count
- Past CBC Results
- Texas Christmas Bird Counts
- National Audubon CBC
The Audubon Christmas Bird Count runs from mid-December through early January each year. Our count will fall within that time period. Please visit this year’s Event Page for more details.
Who
The CBC is made possible by volunteers just like you! The count is free and open to birders of all skill levels. There are two ways to participate in the Buffalo Bayou Count – as part of a field team or as a feeder/yard watcher. If you want to count birds at your own bird feeder, you can join Project FeederWatch.
Where
The Buffalo Bayou CBC covers a 15-mile diameter circle on the west side of Houston. It is centered at Houston Audubon’s Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary in the Memorial/Wilcrest vicinity. The count circle extends from the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center on the east to beyond Hwy 6 on the west, and from the Southwest Freeway at West Belt on the south to FM 529 near Jersey Village on the north. In addition to the Arboretum, the count circle also includes Addicks & Barker Reservoirs, Bear Creek Park, and parts of Buffalo Bayou.
If you have any questions or comments, or would like to participate in a different portion of the Buffalo Bayou CBC, please email the count compilers.