Date: 3/13/08
Contact: Margie Klein
Phone: (702) 486-5127, ext. 3502

BACKYARD BIRD COUNT A PRESIDENTIAL UNDERTAKING

With the arrival of Presidents Day another long weekend is upon us and that means it’s time to spend some time outside with the family. But you don’t have look very far to find something to do. Why not spend a day counting birds? That’s something different you can do with the whole family.

The National Audubon Society and Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s 2008 Great Backyard Bird Count runs from February 15 – 18. “Count for Fun, Count for the Future!” is the theme of this annual event. If the kids are off from school, they can still practice their math skills by counting birds – just don’t tell them they are doing schoolwork! The activity can be fun for everyone in the family, and you don’t have to go far to do it.

“Families can watch birds in any natural setting, but they really don’t need to leave their own yard. The most fun can sometimes be had right in your own backyard,” said Margie Klein, wildlife educator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

For those who think they may not have the necessary skills to be an official bird counter, Diane Jadlowski, publicity chair for the Red Rock Audubon Society, offers the following tips for participating in the event:

• Visit www.birdcount.org for easy-to-follow instructions, including tips for identifying bird species. Download a checklist for your area.
  
  
• Count the birds you see, wherever you choose to count. Write down the highest number of individuals you see at one time—that way you will avoid counting any bird twice.
  
  
• After at least 15 minutes of watching in one place, report your results online at www.birdcount.org.
  
  
• You can repeat your count at the same place on each day of the Great Backyard Bird Count. You can also visit other locations and submit separate tallies for those areas as well. View your results on the online maps and lists.

To get the whole family involved, assign tasks to each person. One person can describe the color and size of the bird, while a youngster looks up identification on the internet or in a book. Then compare the counts that each person gets for each kind of bird. That way you’ll be able to tell if someone needs help with their viewing skills. After the counting is done, be sure to enter your tallies on the official website and check back to see how your results compare to other local bird counters. In years to come, your family can look back at counts that they did and see how the numbers of birds has changed since then. It’s a fun thing to do, and you’ll do it for the future of your kids and the future of birds in America.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) protects, restores and manages fish and wildlife, and promotes fishing, hunting, and boating safety. NDOW’s wildlife and habitat conservation efforts are primarily funded by sportsmen’s license and conservation fees and a federal surcharge on hunting and fishing gear. Support wildlife and habitat conservation in Nevada by purchasing a hunting, fishing, or combination license. For more information, visit www.ndow.org.