Christmas Bird Count
The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is a proud sponsor of the Portage Circle of the National Audubon Society’s 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. This project 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. Learn more about the Christmas Bird Count.
Participate in the Christmas Bird Count
On count day, we’ll head out in small field teams to identify and count as many birds and species as possible within our 15-mile diameter circle. The Portage Circle (refer to map) contains the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Twenty Mile River Valley, Portage Valley, Placer River Valley, and part of the Turnagain Pass.
The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center serves as our meeting location to gather in the morning for section assignments and refreshments, and to compile data in the afternoon.
To volunteer as a participant, email Amy (amy@alaskawildlife.org), who will reply with a schedule for the day, what to bring, safety considerations, and other resources.
The 2026 count date is TBD.
The Portage Circle was a new addition to the Christmas Bird Count in 2025, so it was the first year that birds in the Portage area were included in the national data!
