CRESTLINE — The Bucyrus Circle Audubon Christmas Bird Count was Jan. 2, 2017. A classic example of citizen science, the object of the count is to document every bird within a 15-mile diameter circle during a single 24-hour time period. Hundreds of counts throughout North America generate data that is often used in research projects studying bird populations during the winter months.

Sponsored by the Crawford Park District, six participants went into the field while four people counted birds at their feeders. A total of 6,813 birds representing 57 different species were recorded.

Five species — the European starling, house sparrow, crow, Canada goose and the pigeon — accounted for 79 percent of the birds recorded. Additionally, seven bald eagles and two merlins were seen. The merlin is a blue jay- sized Falcon that is quite rare in Ohio and this is the first time it has been recorded during the Bucyrus count.

Anyone wanting to participate in the count next year should contact the Crawford Park District at 419-683-9000 or visit www.crawfordparkdistrict.org in November for more information. The more people that participate, the more meaningful the data that is generated.