The Great Backyard Bird Count has grown into a global event involving hundreds of thousands of people. Starting Friday, volunteers will record what they see to help scientists monitor the world’s declining bird populations.
How it works: Participants watch birds, whether that means looking out the window for 15 minutes or taking a longer trip to a nature area. Organizers recommend the Merlin bird ID app to distinguish birds by size, shape, song or other characteristics. Many participants also carry field guides and binoculars along with their phones.“Anyone can say, ‘I can contribute to science — it’s easy. I can identify one bird over a four-day period and I’ve done my part,’” says Rodomsky-Bish.
Dalibor, who teaches at the Redwood Cooperative School in Kentucky, has been preparing her classes with information about local species and practicing with the Merlin app. The kids will record bird sightings with pencils and clipboards, and parent volunteers will enter those numbers on phones. “In rural areas, it’s not unusual for children to wander around and use catapults and to kill birds,” he says. Now, “the hands that used catapults to hit birds are the same hands that are building nest boxes and taking notes about birds and their behavior.”
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