Author : Janet Winter

Do you have kids who are interested in science – especially with regard to birds in the wild? Are they curious to know more about the different species of birds that come to a feeder or other areas in the yard? If so, plan to participate in a free, educational activity that makes a difference! It’s a fun activity for kids of all ages and an opportunity to get outside and connect with nature at a time of year when many just stay inside

This February, join tens of thousands of people through out the U S and Canada in the 2009 Great Backyard Bird Count You can count the birds you see in your backyard, off your balcony, at your local park or from your window – anywhere you can spot birds or hear their calls

People of all ages and all levels of bird-watching experience are invited to take part It’s a great way to learn more about the birds in your backyard and neighborhood You can count by yourself or join forces with your family, community group, school, scout troops and friends And, what a great opportunity for more accomplished birders to introduce others to the wonderful world of birds

Participation in the event is easy Simply count the birds you see at your selected location and write down the highest number of individual birds you see at one time This way you will avoid counting any bird twice You should count for at least 15 minutes but there is no time limit on how long you want to observe an area and update your tally

Binoculars, bird identification books and devices that identify a bird by its song are certainly helpful, but not required for participation

Since this is a four-day event from February 13th through the 16th, you can repeat your count at the same place each day You can also visit other locations and submit separate tallies for those areas as well The excitement comes from discovering a new species that wasn’t there the day before Perhaps it’s a bird that is migrating and just making a stop over to rest and refuel

This event is sponsored by the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology You can visit their web sites for easy-to follow instructions, including tips for identifying bird species There is also a checklist to download for your area with a list of the birds you might see When you’ve finished your count, upload your results to the bird count site and learn which birds others have observed

Your checklist provides valuable information for science and conservation Whether the list is short or long, the results will help scientists understand more about how the distribution and abundance of birds changes over a period of time

In 2008, participants submitted a record-breaking 85,000 checklists! From these reports, scientists documented the huge southward movement of northern finches from Canada They also discovered the expanding ranges of the Eurasian Collared-Dove and the Redbellied Woodpecker The numbers of Northern Bobwhites and Eastern Meadowlarks continued to decline

There were several unexpected finds A Masked Duck – typically found in the tropics – was reported for the very first time in Texas An Arctic Loon, seldom seen outside Alaska, was spotted in California The most unique was probably the Ivory Gull that wandered down from the high Arctic to be spotted in South Dakota!

The top 10 most commonly reported species in the 2008 bird count in order from 1 to 10 were: Northern Cardinal, Mourning Dove, Dark-eyed Junco, Downy Woodpecker, American Goldfinch, Blue Jay, House Finch, Tufted Titmouse, Black-capped Chickadee and the American Crow How many of these birds frequent your yard?

Whether you are brand new to bird watching and counting birds, or an expert birder, your counts count! So, organize a group and be ready this February for a fun, educational experience

Don’t forget to take a digital camera along or set up an outdoor bird cam to photograph your wild birds Your favorite image might be selected for the online gallery or be a winner in the photo contest

It’s time for all birders to unite Ready – set – count!

Janet Winter loves her wild birds and delights in providing helpful resources and unique products for feathered friends at WildBirdGoodies.com. She is a web designer, travel agent and writer on many topics including wild birds, babies and pampered dogs.

Syndication Source: Article Wild

Filed under: Healthy Home

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