The Indian Cave State Park Christmas Bird Count (CBC) will be held Thursday, December 19. Those participating on this day will meet at the park office at 9:00 a.m. The bird count will commence after some discussion and will end at noon or at the volunteer’s discretion. Bird lovers of all ages and skills are encouraged to participate. For those who need them, binoculars and bird I.D. books can be borrowed from the park. Dress appropriately according to weather conditions and you may also stay in your vehicle. Pre-registration is needed for the free soup feed at noon.

The Christmas Bird Count is a long standing program of the National Audubon Society, with over 100 years of citizen science involvement. The CBC is an early-winter census, where thousands of volunteers across the U.S., Canada, and many countries in the Western Hemisphere go out over a 24-hour period on one calendar day to count birds. The data collected by observers over the past century has allowed researchers, conservation biologists, and other interested individuals to study the long-term health and status of bird populations.

Volunteers count every bird they see or hear all day. It’s not just a species tally – all birds are counted all day, giving an indication of the total number of birds in the circle that day. Towns and surrounding areas included are Shubert, Stella, Nemaha, Barada, and Verdon. If your home is within the boundaries of the Indian Cave count circle then you may stay at home and report the birds that visit your feeder on the count week (December 16-22).

For further information call Indian Cave State Park at 402-883-2575 or email ngpc.indian.cave@nebraska.gov