Keep an eye out to help national bird count
Bird-watchers across the country will get to use their skills for science this month during the Great Backyard Bird Count.
The event, a joint project of the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, pools the efforts of thousands of amateur bird watchers to count birds near their homes and report their findings to a website.
Audubon and Cornell researchers use the data to learn more about how environmental changes affect birds and how to protect them.
"It gives a picture, a quick snapshot, of where the birds are and how they're doing," said Peggy Baker, a president's council member at the Francis M. Weston Audubon Society.
The count this year is Feb. 18-21. Anyone can participate, from novices to expert bird-watchers. Organizers ask that participants count birds for a minimum of 15 minutes on one day of the event.
Last year, participants submitted more than 97,200 bird checklists, a 4 percent increase over the previous year.
Baker said the event can be an eye-opening experience for local residents.
More information is available at http://www.birdsource.org/, including checklists, guides and other tools to help participants identify and report birds likely to inhabit their area.
Audubon and Cornell researchers use the data to learn more about how environmental changes affect birds and how to protect them.
"It gives a picture, a quick snapshot, of where the birds are and how they're doing," said Peggy Baker, a president's council member at the Francis M. Weston Audubon Society.
The count this year is Feb. 18-21. Anyone can participate, from novices to expert bird-watchers. Organizers ask that participants count birds for a minimum of 15 minutes on one day of the event.
Last year, participants submitted more than 97,200 bird checklists, a 4 percent increase over the previous year.
Baker said the event can be an eye-opening experience for local residents.
More information is available at http://www.birdsource.org/, including checklists, guides and other tools to help participants identify and report birds likely to inhabit their area.
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