Calling all bird lovers. The National Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count gets underway Dec. 14.

Whether you’re a backyard birder counting avian visitors at your feeder or an avid birder with a Life List, now is your chance to contribute to one of the longest, most continuous scientific data sets in history.

The count was started more than a century ago as a way to get birders in the field amid annual migrations. Over the years, the three-week bird count has helped reveal countless secrets. Last year, counters across Florida documented good news and bad news . Vagrant flamingos swept ashore by Hurricane Idalia during the summer had managed to survive months later. But only a few Whooping Cranes were spotted despite efforts to revive the population.

The counts are organized

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