An event took place this past weekend that engaged thousands of adults, children, and families across the United States and Canada, and best of all, it was free.
The Great Backyard Bird Count, sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Audubon, and in partner with Bird Studies of Canada, got people outside—or at least looking outside—all in the name of citizen science. The task: watch an area in your backyard or park, or along the Fox River for at least 15 minutes and record the highest number of birds of each species seen together. Then record your data on their easy-to-use online form at www.birdsource.org/gbbc.
Why is such data important? It helps scientists and bird enthusiasts obtain updated information on patterns of migration, species distribution, or population increases or declines. It helps our understanding of birds—they are very complex and fascinating creatures—while providing us a personal glimpse of our wonderful biodiversity.
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Wait, you say you can't tell an American robin from a Northern Cardinal? The Internet has a cornicopia of guides for all levels of knowledge, from top 10 birds you might see in Montgomery to birding by ear. Besides visiting the above-named sponsors of the backyard event on line, two other sites I find useful are www.ebird.org and www.enature.com. And if you want to get involved in birdfeeding, there is Project FeederWatch.
Bird watching and birdfeeding are fun and easy pathways to get children engaged in the world around them. Both can develop into family projects and teach children and adults about being good stewards of the environment.
