The 116th Christmas Bird Count Summary
March 02, 2025
Geoff LeBaron
Director, Christmas Bird Count
Geoff LeBaron is Christmas Bird Count Director for the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ, a position held since 1987. As an integral member of the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Science Division, Geoff also works on the other Community Science projects including Climate Watch, , and the Great Backyard Bird Count, as well as ornithological and birding advisor on projects from the Conservation Science team. Other tasks at ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ have included consultant for natural history accuracy for both the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ website and ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏmagazine; advisor for products under development by the Marketing team; leader for both leadership and staff birdathon fund-raisers; consultant for special events; occasional lecturer; and frequent ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ media spokesperson on various subjects.
Before ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ, Geoff served five years on staff in the Ornithology Department at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia (including Collection Manager at VIREO); ornithological field work on Common Loons for the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Society of New Hampshire; ornithological field work for the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Society of Rhode Island, and environmental education work for the State of Rhode Island. He has logged over 2000 hours aerial observation time of marine mammals, turtles, and birds encompassing the entire east coast of the United States. Geoff also spent three seasons leading whale and seabird watching trips on Stellwagen Bank off Cape Cod.
Geoff has led natural history tours to: Alaska; Big Bend and the Texas Hill Country; Baja California; Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands; Panama and Costa Rica; the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador; Argentina, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica; South Africa; and Australia and New Zealand.
Geoff earned his undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Miami in Florida, and a Master's Degree in Zoology from the University of Rhode Island. During his time at URI, he published his thesis "Kleptoparasitism as a foraging strategy in the Herring Gull (Larus argentatus).
Articles by Geoff LeBaron
How Changes In Birding Allowed for an Epic Milestone in 2024
December 20, 2024 —
Earlier this year, Peter Kaestner became the first to see 10,000 different bird species in a lifetime. What does the future of birding hold?
An Age of Transition at the Christmas Bird Count
December 07, 2023 —
CBC Director Geoff LeBaron looks back on 124 years of both constancy and change, and announces a change of his own.
Christmas Bird Counts in Latin America and the Caribbean Add Valuable Bird Data
December 22, 2021 —
Today, counts are set up in 28 different countries outside the United States and Canada, helping with bird conservation.
120th Christmas Bird Count Summary
December 07, 2020 —
Geoff LeBaron breaks down everything we learned from the 120th Christmas Bird Count
When to Expect Hummingbirds at Your Feeders and Flowers This Spring
May 21, 2020 —
Warmer weather is on its way—and so are migrant hummers returning from their southern wintering grounds to their summer breeding ranges. Here’s a regional guide for when they should arrive and the food they’re seeking.
