The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center was excited to sponsor the Portage Circle of the National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count on December 22nd, 2025!
What is the Christmas Bird Count?
The Christmas Bird Count started in 1900, making it one of the longest-running community science projects in the world. From December 14 through January 5 each year tens of thousands of volunteers throughout the Americas brave snow, wind, or rain, and take part in the effort. Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this long-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations, and to help guide conservation action. And this isn’t just about the data, though the science is incredibly important. It’s about community, connection to nature, and the simple joy of watching birds.
The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is a program of National Audubon, a separate 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center administers the Portage Circle CBC and submits data to the national effort.
More about Portage!
The Portage Count Circle is a 15-mile diameter area almost entirely within the Chugach National Forest. The Circle contains the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Twenty Mile River Valley, Portage Valley, Placer River Valley, and part of the Turnagain Pass. On count day, we split into 4 field teams to identify and count as many birds and species as possible within our circle.
2025 Count
This year, participants endured cold temperatures with the lowest temperature recorded at -15 degrees F! They dedicated their time, enthusiasm, and determination to get out there, count birds, and connect with fellow bird enthusiasts. We thank all participants for making an important contribution to this long-standing community science effort.
Visit our new webpage to learn more about out research efforts HERE!
Interested in learning more about the Christmas Bird Count? Check out the Audubon website here: https://www.audubon.org/community-science/christmas-bird-count