The annual Audubon Christmas bird count is already tradition. This year, the funny, though scientific event, gets to its 108^th edition, which means that Californians really love this event that transforms common people into volunteer citizen scientists.

So, between December 14 and January 5, thousands of people will be taking to the outdoors and will start counting the bird populations from local communities throughout the state. Children, parents and grandparents will count all kind of species of birds, in a move that brings both fun and responsibility, as the data from their counts will be compiled with other data from around the United States and not only, and will eventually help Audubon track the progress of bird species.

These counts are very important because they help environmentalists understand the impact of environmental threats on different species of birds and on their habitats. Scientist could also track imperiled species.

"What makes the Christmas bird count so wonderful is that it allows Audubon members to do what they enjoy the most and at the same time make a tremendous contribution to the scientific record," said Audubon California’s executive director, Glenn Olson.

Audubon California organizes bird counts in important habitat areas that might be otherwise overlooked. "Because of how the Christmas bird count data is used to guide conservation and inform policy initiatives, it's important to get into some of these remote areas and make sure that we get the best possible snapshot of birds and habitat," the institution’s director of conservation, Graham Chisholm, said.

The annual Audubon Christmas bird count is the longest-running wildlife census in the world. It began more than a century ago as an alternative to holiday hunting contents.