Kids and Nature - The Great Backyard Bird Count

Once again it’s time for the National Audubon Society’s Annual Great Backyard Bird Count.

This event is in its 12th year, and for 2009 will be held February 13-16.

Over the four day period, birdwatchers count birds to create a real-time snapshot of where birds are across the continent.

People of all ages and birdwatching levels are invited to participate in this popular event, and what a great way to get children outside and take notice of the wonders of the natural world around them.

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The counting can be for as little as 15 minutes on only one day, or for as long as you choose on each day of the event.  It can be done at a local park or wildlife refuge, or of course…in your own backyard.

Participants tally the number of birds and report their counts online by filling out a checklist at the Great Backyard Bird Count website.

As the count progresses, updates will be on the website showing what is being reported across the United States and Canada.  Numbers from last year will also be shown for comparison.

In 2008 more than 9.8 million birds were reported, and an all time record of more than 85,000 checklists were submitted.

Image credit:  Eric Begin on flickr creative commons.

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