The Guthrie County Conservation Board and Iowa DNR are inviting local residents to participate in a unique bird-watching event in a couple weeks.

The Audubon Christmas Bird Count will take place on Tuesday, December 17th, with interested participants convening at the Springbrook Conservation Education Center early that morning before people are divided into groups and sent out for the bird count.

GCCB Natural Resource Manager Brad Halterman has been taking part in the count for the past several years, and he’s seen as many as 50 different bird species during the event on great weather days.

Halterman says the Christmas count is growing in popularity, and he hopes to see that trend continue.

“There are some folks from the area that this is really, really enjoyable, it’s actually a hobby of there’s–to listen to birds and to watch birds and to go out and see how many different species they can find.  Being that it’s on a Tuesday, obviously that limits the participation some, but we’ve always had a really, really good, diverse group of people.  We’ve always had enough (people) to cover the (dedicated) area, and it’s been a really good turnout throughout the years.”

There is no cost associated with participation in the bird count event.  If you have questions, feel free to contact Halterman and the Guthrie County Conservation Board at 641-755-3061.