This is being forwarded at the request of Tim Cullinan, National
Audubon,Washington State Field Office.


>
>LOG ON AND BE COUNTED!
>
>The Second Annual Great Backyard Bird Count needs individuals, families,
>and classrooms to put their bird sightings on the map.
>
>Last year, El Ni?o meant rough weather and rough times for people and birds
>in parts of North America. Now, after El Ni?o and the hottest year on
>record, how are our beloved birds faring? Bird enthusiasts of all ages and
>backgrounds are being urged to help researchers find out by participating
>in the 2nd Annual Great Backyard Bird Count, February 19-22, 1999.
>
>A project of the National Audubon Society <<www.audubon.org>> and Cornell
>Laboratory of Ornithology <<http://birds.cornell.edu>>, the Great Backyard
>Bird Count wants everyone - kids, adults, seniors, families, classrooms and
>community groups - to count the birds they see at their backyard bird
>feeders, local parks, and other areas. Reports are entered online at
>BirdSource <<http://birdsource.cornell.edu>>, an interactive,
>state-of-the-art website developed by the Cornell Lab and Audubon.
>
>The count follows last year's first-ever tally of its kind, the Great '98
>Backyard Bird Count, during which over 14,000 reporters tallied more than
>half a million birds. Findings will be especially important in this
>post-El Ni?o year. Last year, this weather phenomenon dumped unprecedented
>amounts of rain on the West Coast, induced a hot, dry summer in the
>Southeast, and may have been responsible for devastating ice storms in the
>Northeast. "We know that this meant hard times for many people," says
>Frank Gill, senior vice president for science at National Audubon.. "Now
>we need to know what effect, if any, El Ni?o had on the birds."
>
>To do this, Cornell and Audubon count on the estimated 60-million who feed
>or watch birds. Participants tally the highest number of each species seen
>at one time (so as not to count the same birds more than once). When
>logging onto BirdSource to report their observations, participants click on
>their state or province and receive a checklist of the most frequently
>reported birds in their region. Within hours, they will be able to see how
>their reports combine with others across the continent to create a kind of
>"snapshot" of North American birds.
>
>Prospective bird counters don't have to be online to participate in the 2nd
>Annual Great Backyard Bird Count. Wild Birds Unlimited, a GBBC sponsor,
>will accept and enter reports from people who are not online (To find out
>how to get your information to them, call them toll-free at
>1-800-326-4WBU).
>
>This year, to encourage even more schools and families, the site features a
>"Let's Talk About Birds" vocabulary list to help them learn words commonly
>associated with birds and their environments. The "Bird-Brained
>Bibliography" takes learning about birds even further by suggesting
>reference books, field guides, even novels that might be of interest to
>educators, students, and beginning birders. There are also tips on how and
>what to feed birds. Site visitors will be able to view colorful bird
>images, hear examples of their vocalizations, look at trend data from last
>year's count and other citizen-science projects, such as Project
>FeederWatch and Christmas Bird Counts.
>
>To participate, simply go to the BirdSource website at
><http://birdsource.cornell.edu> and click on the Great Backyard Bird Count
>button. Directions and other information are provided at the site.
>Participation is free and no registration is necessary. For more
>information, prospective counters can call toll-free 1-800-843-BIRD (2473).
>
>For more information on how to participate, contact Tim Cullinan at
>Audubon~Washington, <tcullinan at audubon.org> or 360-683-6257.
>
>MEDIA CONTACT:
>John Bianchi National Audubon jbianchi at audubon.org 212/979-3026
>
>_________________________________
>
>Tim Cullinan
>National Audubon Society
>Washington State Field Office
>Olympia, Washington
>
>