TWO RIVERS, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – What began as a holiday hunting tradition has grown into the largest citizen-science survey in North America.
The 122nd annual Christmas Bird Count wrapped up on Wednesday.
A steady stream of Lake Michigan waves made its way into the harbor in Two Rivers.
“This is an outstanding place for bird watching,” said Jim Knickelbine, Woodland Dunes Nature Center executive director.
Knickelbine tells FOX 11 the weather is a fitting backdrop to the annual Christmas Bird Count.
“There are ducks that come down from the Arctic that spend their winters here. Other Birds like goldeneyes and scaups and mergansers, things like that.”
Knickelbine says the Christmas Bird Count is a one-day event where people document as many birds as they can in a designated survey area. People don’t need binoculars to participate.
“Many people chose to look at just the birds at their feeders, which is great because a lot of times, that’s where the birds are really concentrated, at least song birds, because they are looking for food,” said Jessica Johnsrud, Woodland Dunes Nature Center education coordinator and assistant director.
But many birders say there’s a disturbing trend. National Audubon surveys indicate over the last 50 years, bird populations are down about 30 percent. Knickelbine says loss of habitat, predators and the weather are factors.
“A lot of it has to do with the climate. A lot of the southern species are moving northward.”
Knickelbine says the first cardinal was spotted in Wisconsin in the 1940s, and more house finches are being seen as well. He says improving habitat is key.
“Ecosystems do respond if you take care of them. If you do something to restore the ecosystems, often times they will respond pretty quickly, and wildlife will move back in,” he said.
Knickelbine says there are about 400 different bird species in Wisconsin, and about 300 have been recorded in Manitowoc County.
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