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	family fun guide

The Great Bird Count

Now in its third year, the Great Backyard Bird Count is an educational activity for the entire family. A project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society, this event takes place February 18 to 21, 2000. Together, adults and children can identify and count the various species of birds that visit their backyard bird feeders, local parks, schools, and other locales during any or all of the four days. It's a fun family activity and a chance to participate in a continent-wide ornithology experiment.

Those with Internet access can log on to their interactive website at www.birdsource.org, where information is collected on bird sightings in colorful animated maps that are updated almost instantaneously. Each dot on the website map corresponds to a sighting, so scientists can use the data to help pinpoint where different species are concentrating during the premigratory, deep winter months. They can also determine whether a species' wintering range is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant. In addition, the website will include useful information on bird feeder use and other ornithology-related tips.

And if you enjoy the Great Backyard Bird Count, Project FeederWatch is another family birdwatching project that takes place throughout the entire winter. A $15.00 participation fee covers the cost of materials, which include a colorful poster and feeder-bird calendar, a resource guide, access to an exclusive FeederWatch listserv and more. There is a classroom FeederWatch program as well. For more information, contact the Cornell Lab of Ornithology/GBBC at 800-843-BIRD.

-- Linda Batt

Back to All Hail our Fair Feathered Friends: A Backyard Birdfeeder Makes Science Fun!