For the past 120 years, teams of enthusiastic birders have joined together every December across North America to participate in the Christmas Bird Count (CBC). Coordinated here in the U.S. by National Audubon Society, the CBC is the nation’s longest-running bird-related community science project. This early-winter bird census spans three weeks, from December 14 to January 5, but area counts of the number of individual birds of each species present within each 15-mile diameter CBC circle are tallied over 24 hours on just one of those calendar dates. Data collected from thousands of CBC circles provides an annual snapshot of the status of wintering bird populations throughout the country. (A map of CBC locations, including those in South Florida, can be accessed here).

If you live within a CBC circle, however, you may still be able to submit bird count data from your backyard or neighborhood. Check the TAS Bird Board or the Bird Board on Facebook for requests for assistance from local CBC coordinators, data submission instructions and other CBC updates.

For the latest rare bird sightings, check Tropical Audubon’s Rare Bird Update.

Scheduling Update: Birding field trips remain on hold because activities in most Miami-Dade and Broward county parks continue to be limited to individuals and families. All Miami-Dade County park activities involving groups of 10 or more are prohibited. Our Doc Thomas House headquarters remains closed to the public. Please stay tuned for our timely updates.

If you missed our recent live webinar presentations or wish to view them again, visit:

Bird Migration in South Florida and Exotic Birds of South Florida.

Note: The new date is January 20-30, 2022. To view a detailed itinerary, click here. Email Brian Rapoza, TAS Field Trip Coordinator for additional information.

Support clean water and habitat for birds and people 

Hear from nature writer, photographer and TAS Board Member Kirsten Hines, who is also on the Audubon Florida board. Hines has an M.Sc. in biology and co-authored the gardening reference book Attracting Birds to South Florida Gardens. She will be joined by other practitioners in design, horticulture and conservation, as well as academic professionals, who will address the importance of species selection and design criteria, among other topics, as they pertain to the sustainable health of our region’s varied ecosystems.

This virtual event is part of Ocean Conservancy’s Shores Forward partnerships with the City of Miami and the City of Miami Beach.

Register here.

Twelve of the many landmarks that have benefitted from Villagers grants, including our society’s 1932 Doc Thomas House headquarters, are featured. Each is interpreted in its own colorful shadow box via Martini’s New Media Art images captured on her contemplative walks about the city, complemented by a coordinating papier-mâché scene of the artist’s creation. (Viewers can hover their phone cameras on QR codes for details about each landmark, or to purchase corresponding art journals.) Click HERE to see the video that shows work done at Vizcaya, Coral Gables Garden club, Coral Gables Woman’s Club, and the Doc Thomas House. 

Colorful, quilt-like patterns unify the exhibit and are intended to symbolize diversity and the notion of ongoing pandemic challenges wrapped in a “blanket” crafted by loving hands. The engaging window is also draped in charming, Villagers-made quilts. (Quilts made for The Villagers’ annual raffle can be viewed here.)

Miami’s oldest historic preservation organization, The Villagers is an all-volunteer group with over 200 members. New members are welcome! Visit The Villagers to learn more.

A limited number of volunteers are invited to participate in our December 19 Eco-Gardening day at our South Miami campus. To adhere to our gathering guidelines, interested participants MUST inquire via email to Amy at volunteer@tropicalaudubon.org

Painted Buntings are seed-eaters, so the first thing to consider is planting winter-seeding native grasses. Some good choices for our region include Florida gamagrass (Tripsacum floridanum), lopsided indiangrass (Sorghastrum secundum), southern wiregrass (Aristida stricta), and Basketgrass (Oplismenus hirtellus). As one might expect, the brightly colored males prefer to stay hidden, so plant these grasses in dense clumps and provide nearby thickets of native shrubs and trees for retreat.