Christmas Bird Count
The 101st Toronto Christmas Bird Count will be held on December 14th, 2025!
The Toronto Christmas Bird Count is part of one of the longest running community science projects, organized by the National Audubon Society and Birds Canada. Toronto participated in the first Christmas Bird Count held in 1900, although some years have been missed since then. The 24.2 km radius circle encompassing most of the city is divided into 26 sectors, each with a Sector Leader to coordinate the counting of as many birds as possible. The Christmas Bird Count is an excellent opportunity for birders of varying experience to enjoy an organized day of winter birding. The day is traditionally followed, later in the afternoon, with a round-up party where the results for the day are reported – as well as being a great way to meet other birders from across the city. Anyone wishing to join the count and who has not been contacted by a leader, should fill out this form. |
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How to Participate
There are a few roles to volunteer as for the Toronto Christmas Bird Count:
Counter
A Counter is anyone who counts birds – it’s that simple! With the guidance of a Sector Leader, together with a group or on your own, you identify and count as many birds as you can within the areas assigned to you. Make sure to keep track of the time and distance you cover (the eBird app makes this simple)!
Sector Leader
A Sector Leader is responsible for coordinating the Counters within their sector of the CBC circle. Along with tallying up all of their volunteers’ bird counts, a Sector Leader must also keep track of the time and distance covered by all Counters within their sector. By the end of the day, the Sector Leader must submit all of their data and ensure all eBird checklists have been shared with the TOC.
The map below demonstrates how the city's CBC circle is split into sectors:
A Google Maps version of this map is available with this link.