Spruce grouse in a spruce tree in Denali National Park, Alaska
© Yva Momatiuk and John Eastcott/Minden Picture
The Christmas Bird Count begins
Today marks the start of the annual Christmas Bird Count, a bird census that also happens to be the longest-running citizen scientist survey in the world. Each year the count runs from December 14 to January 5, giving bird lovers across North America a chance to join in, get outside, and spot some birds. The findings recorded by participants are collected and used to gauge the health of various bird populations. This information is then used to focus conservation efforts on particular species and geographical areas.
One bird you might see if you participate in the northern part of Canada or the U.S. is the spruce grouse. The bird can be hard to spot—it's known for sitting so still that you won't notice it until you're a few feet away when it takes flight to escape—earning it the nickname 'fool's hen.'
Related Images
Striated heron on a Victoria water lily, Pantanal, Brazil
Magellanic penguins, Volunteer Point, Falkland Islands
Andean cocks-of-the-rock, Ecuador
Yellow warbler in Canada
Rufous hummingbird, Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada
Female black-naped monarch nesting
Black heron canopy hunting, Chobe National Park, Botswana
Southern yellow-billed hornbills in Kruger National Park, South Africa
Today on Bing
Northern hawk-owl, Canada
Boreal owl, Saskatchewan, Canada
American robin perched on a branch in Canada
