AUGUSTA (AP) — Bird enthusiasts around Maine are participating in the National Audubon Society’s annual winter bird census.

The Portland Press Herald (http://bit.ly/12VleEA ) reported the bird count kicked off on Sunday in the Augusta area. Bird lovers will count species from more than 30 other locations all over Maine by January. The effort is part of the Audubon Society’s three-week long Christmas Bird Count, which takes place all over North America for three weeks in December and January.

Audubon says the data collected represent the most comprehensive statistics for tracking the movement and population of different bird species.