Eleventh annual great backyard bird count
Contributed by Pat Leonard

The great backyard bird count, a free event sponsored in part by Wild Birds Unlimited,

calls on birders to Count

for Fun, Count for the

Future.

Participants watch birds for as little as 15 minutes on one or more days of the event, counting in their yards, city parks or nature centers, and enter their tallies at www.birdcount.org.

These reports contribute valuable information for science and conservation, spotlighting changes in bird population and distribution from year to year. The count is led by Audubon and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Participation is free, and no registration is required.

Over the years, count results show how species such as Eurasian Collared- Dove and Redbellied Woodpecker are spreading into new areas. They also show declines in some species, such as the American Crow and Northern Pintails.

Everyone who participates will be entered in a drawing to win birdrelated prizes. For more information, visit www.birdcount.org