12th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count

From: Janis Dickinson, Director of Citizen Science, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Rob Fergus, Senior Scientist, National Audubon Society

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
12th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count
February 13 – 16, 2009

COUNT FOR FUN! COUNT FOR THE FUTURE!
Dear Great Backyard Bird Count participant,

The twelfth annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is fast approaching–February 13 is less than a month away! Plan to join tens of thousands of other bird watchers across North America as we tally the birds over these four days. Count on your own or with family, friends, and neighbors to make this the biggest, best GBBC ever!
If you know someone who might be interested in joining the GBBC for the first time, please pass along our website: www.birdcount.org!

New and Updated Features
* Think you’ve got “Eagle Eyes”? As you countdown to GBBC weekend, test your bird watching skills through our interactive game. Click here to play this year’s Eagle Eyes. Be sure to forward the link to a friend!
* Great prizes! Everyone who submits a bird checklist during the GBBC is automatically entered in our drawing for bird-related items donated by Wild Birds Unlimited, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Audubon, and Droll Yankees. Visit http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/2009prizes to see the selection.
* GBBC events are taking place around the continent. Discover what's going on in your area on the GBBC website’s Local Events page: http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/events. If you’re hosting an event, email Pat Leonard at pel27@cornell.edu and we will post information.
* If you have young people at home, consider decorating a tree with treats for birds. Download a brochure with recipes for making feeders and treats for the birds from GBBC sponsor Wild Birds Unlimited: http://www.wbu.com/education/decorateatree.html

Why Your Participation Matters
We have the opportunity to gather real data from people like you to help us understand where the birds are and how their populations are changing over time. Last year, participants counted over nine million birds and reported 12 species never before reported during the GBBC! Let’s see how many we can count this year, and find out together how bird populations may be changing.
If you have any questions, please contact us at citizenscience@audubon.org or cornellbirds@cornell.edu. Remember, count for fun, count for the future! We can’t wait to see what you discover this year.