It’s been said that birds of a feather flock together. The same would seem to go for Lawrence’s bird lovers.

But this year will be different, as longtime Christmas Bird Count coordinator and participant Stan Roth will not be in attendance.

Roth, a retired high school biology teacher, has been a mainstay in the annual count for more than 50 years. After breaking his leg in late November, an injury that kept him in the hospital for more than a week, Roth realized he’d have to put his passion temporarily on hold.

“I’m sure going to miss this one,” Roth said. “It’s a bummer.”

Despite not being able to attend this year’s local count, Roth remained in high spirits, hinting at a possible cameo appearance.

“If I’m feeling up to it and can fool my family, I might go drive the rounds,” he said, then, in a serious, added he was “mostly joking.”

The count must go on, however, as events are set in Lawrence for today and Baldwin City for Sunday. On those days, dozens of local bird enthusiasts will brave the weather and spend the day searching for and recording both the number and species of birds they find.

Roger Boyd, the compiler for the Baldwin City count, said the information gathered is sorted and sent to the National Audubon Society for analysis. The information gathered during the Christmas Bird Counts, which are held in cities across the country in late December and early January, can highlight important patterns.

“It’s the best way we have of knowing what is happening with population trends,” Boyd said.

Identifying and recording the birds is no small task. The Christmas Bird Counts take the better part of an entire day. Steve Roels, KU graduate student and experienced counter, said that finding certain rarer birds has taken as long as 10 hours. Roels, who has participated in counts in several states, said he tries to attend at least one event every year.

“It’s an excuse to get out in the winter,” Roels said. “It’s easy to sit around and think about how cold it is, but this gives you the motivation to get out and see birds that are around in the winter.”

There’s excitement in the Christmas Bird Count, too. Aside from the common birds that participants observe, there’s also an occasional surprise. Roth remembered the first time he was able to record a bald eagle during a count.

“The whole Earth shook when we were able to report that,” he said.

Now, of course, bald eagles winter in the Lawrence area.

Participating in the bird count doesn’t appeal to everyone, but new additions to the counting crew are always welcome.

“We try to encourage people who aren’t experienced to go with us,” Boyd said. “We try to make it fun.”