National Geographic defines citizen science as “the practice of public participation and collaboration in scientific research to increase scientific knowledge.” Projects usually do not require specialized knowledge, and volunteers often train new ones.

Breeding bird atlases have a long history in the United States, where they are typically conducted at the state level. Like road atlases, at their core they are centered around maps, but the maps relate to the geographic distribution and abundance of breeding bird species—that is, where they are found on the landscape and in what numbers.

Not the best of mornings for finding butterflies; sunless, oppressively humid, just the slightest of breezes, downright uncomfortable. But more than two dozen volunteers were ready for the challenge.

The results of the 43rd annual Manassas-Bull Run Christmas Bird Count are in! Over seventy birders counted 17,591 birds of 79 species in this 15-mile diameter circle on December 15, 2024.

The conditions were not auspicious for the 42nd annual Manassas-Bull Run Christmas Bird Count, but the results still broke some records!

The 124th Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC) will take place between this December 14 and January 5, 2024.

The 124th Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC) will take place between this December 14 and January 5, 2024.

Most American birdwatchers are familiar with eBird and Merlin, products developed and managed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and launched in 2002 and 2021, respectively. But have you heard of Birda?

As an important part of our citizen science work, we’re looking to establish some baseline bird abundance data for a pair of parks, specifically for Upton Hill Park in Arlington and Four Mile Run Park in Alexandria.

Join us for a class, workshop or event! Here are a few of our upcoming offerings.

The 123rd Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC) will take place between this December 14 and January 5, 2023.

Want to bird for science? Consider participating in the Northern Virginia Bird Survey, ASNV’s long-running survey of breeding birds in our region!

Join the friends of Dyke Marsh (FODM) on October 20th at 7:00 PM on Zoom for Greg Butcher’s presentation on wintering waterbirds. Read on for more information!

The second Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas, known as VABBA2, is one of the largest citizen science projects in Virginia’s history. Over the last five years, more than 1,400 volunteer birders have gathered data on breeding activity of over 200 species throughout the Commonwealth, resulting in over 6 million records.

ASNV has held the Northern Virginia Bird Survey every June since 1994, providing a picture of the trends over 25 years on the number and species of breeding birds in our area.

Every year, the Youth Education Committee of ASNV sponsors a mini-grant program to support teachers, schools, and non-profit organizations in youth-oriented education about birds and the environment. The committee is proud to announce three recipients ($500 per grant) in 2020.

The 38th Annual Manassas-Bull Run Christmas Bird Count on December 15, 2019 had the highest total of participants yet at 137 and counted over 20,000 birds of 86 avian species. The conditions were favorable, so there were many more walking miles than during the saturated conditions on last year’s count.

The November Potomac Flier article “Three Billion Birds,” shared 7 Simple Steps to help birds published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Smithsonian National Zoological Park and Conservation Biology Institute. The 7th step, “Watch Birds, Share What You See” encourages birdwatching and citizen science. Data collected through simple observation can have profound results.

Do you have a favorite spot to bird that you’d like to share with others?  Consider leading a winter or spring walk there for ASNV.

On September 22, ASNV awarded James (Jim) Waggener National Audubon Society’s prestigious Great Egret Award in recognition of his outstanding citizen science contribution. Jim is only the second person from ASNV to receive this award. He is a naturalist, who began the Occoquan Monitoring Program 30 years ago after retiring from foreign service.