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Christmas Bird Count for Beginners

Kick off the winter season with birds, cocoa, and community science!

This December, USEE is hosting a Christmas Bird Count for Beginners—
a friendly, low-pressure way to try birding and contribute to a real community science project at the same time.

Whether you’ve never held binoculars before or you’re a casual backyard bird watcher, you’re invited.

When & Where

Date: December 20, 2025
Time: 8:00 – 11:00 am
Location: Liberty Park, Salt Lake City


We’ll send a detailed confirmation with meeting location, parking details, and a weather update to all registered participants.

What to Bring

Weather-appropriate warm layers, hat, and gloves
Comfortable shoes for walking on uneven ground
Reusable water bottle
Binoculars, if you have them (we’ll have a limited number to share)
A small notebook or your phone if you’d like to jot down species

Accessibility

We aim to make this event as welcoming and accessible as possible. Our Beginners Count:


Stays short in duration with plenty of breaks
Follows an easy, slow-paced route
Is kid-friendly and beginner-friendly
Encourages all ways of noticing birds—seeing, hearing, or even finding feathers and tracks


If you have specific access needs or questions, please reach out to us at director@usee.org.

Registration

This is a pay-what-you-can event, and registration is required so we can plan for group size, safety, and supplies.

Register Now
A woman in a checked coat watching swans on a snowy lake in Berlin during winter.

What is the Christmas Bird Count?

The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is a long-running community science project where people all over the country head outside in December to count birds. The data helps scientists understand how bird populations are changing over time. Our CBC for Beginners is a gentler, more guided version of a traditional CBC: shorter time outside, slower pace, and lots of support learning how to spot and identify birds.

Who is this for?

This event is designed especially for:

New birders (or bird-curious folks!)
Families with kids
Educators who’d like to try a community science project before bringing it to their students
Anyone who loves being outside and is excited to notice more of the winter world

No experience is necessary. If you can bundle up and use accessible sidewalks, you can bird with us.

A person in a jacket holds binoculars outdoors, emphasizing adventure and exploration.
Close-up of a great blue heron standing in water at a Stamford park.

What to Expect

During the Christmas Bird Count for Beginners, you will:

Meet friendly local birders and educators
Learn how to use binoculars and simple bird ID tools
Take a slow guided walk to look and listen for birds
Help record what we see and hear as part of a real bird count
Warm up with hot drinks and a quick debrief at the end

We’ll focus on common winter birds and easy identification by size, shape, color, and sound.

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Christmas Bird Count for Beginners