THE CNMI Division of Fish and Wildlife is calling on the public to participate in the 124th Audubon Christmas Bird Count.
CNMI DFW has organized local bird counts for over 25 years now.
Coordinator Amanda Santos said the bird count on Tinian will be held on Saturday, Dec. 16, and volunteers should meet at the Fiesta Grounds at 5:45 a.m.
For Saipan and Rota, the bird count occurs on Tuesday, Dec. 19. On Saipan, volunteers are asked to meet at American Memorial Park at 5:45 a.m. On Rota, volunteers will meet at the West Harbor at 7 a.m.
Santos said prior to the start of the bird count, volunteers will meet at the designated rendezvous points on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. From there, they will head to various habitats, which can include jungles, wetlands, and golf courses.
Volunteers will use data sheets to record the species and number of birds they witness.
All ages are welcome to participate in the bird count. Santos said some binoculars are available for volunteers, but supplies are limited.
Ellie Roark, a scientist at DFW, said the endemic and indigenous forest birds such as the nightingale reed warbler, the Micronesian starling, the bridled white eye and more are all expected to show up across DFW data sheets when volunteers begin the count.
But there are a few surprise species that citizen scientists can keep an eye out for as well, she said.
“It would be fun to see as many migrant shore birds as we can,” Roark said, adding that various migratory duck species may be present in the Marianas.
She said a few years ago, the endangered Baer’s pochard was spotted during a Christmas Bird Count.
