On Christmas Day 1900, the group initiated an alternative to the traditional holiday side hunt, in which teams competed to see who could shoot the most birds. Today, almost 55,000 volunteers from all 50 states, every Canadian province, parts of Central and South America, Bermuda, the West Indies, and Pacific islands will count and record every individual bird and bird species seen during one 24-hour calendar day. Designated compilers without Internet access may mail forms to Audubon and Bird Studies Canada. Apart from its attraction as a social, sporting, and competitive event, CBC reveals scientific information on the winter distributions of various bird species as well as the over-all health of the environment. CBC is the longest running ornithological database and continues to grow in importance as a monitor of the status of resident and migratory birds across the western hemisphere.
All counts are open to birders of all skill levels.