Editorial

Backyard Bird Count helps preserve our fine feathered friends

Saturday, February 10, 2007

A lot of us are concerned about wildlife, but not all of us know what to do to help.

Yes, many of us belong to and support groups like Ducks Unlimited and Pheasants Forever, but others of us don't give wildlife a passing thought. Unless, of course, it's hoping we can miss the deer bounding in front of us in the roadway.

The more tender-hearted of us have had reason to be concerned this winter, with much more snowcover than usual, and perhaps have even put out birdfeeders for our feathered friends.

Beyond that, is there much we can do?

Well, thanks to the Internet and the support of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society, there is.

The 10th annual Great Backyard Bird Count, set for Feb. 16-19, is designed to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent.

Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts, organizers say, pointing out that it's free, it's fun and easy, and it helps the birds.

Participants count birds anywhere for as little or as long as they wish during the four-day period. They tally the highest number of birds of each species seen together at any one time. To report their counts, they fill out an online checklist at the Great Backyard Bird Count web site.

As the count progresses, anyone with Internet access can explore what is being reported from their own towns or anywhere in the United States and Canada. They can also see how this year's numbers compare with those from previous years.

Last year, participants reported a record-breaking 7.5 million birds of 623 species. They submitted 60,616 checklists, just 433 shy of an all-time record for total checklists.

Last year in Nebraska, 89 species were counted, 506 checklists were submitted, the most commonly reported species was the dark-eyed Junco, the greatest number of birds reported was the Canada Goose, the most lists came from Lincoln and the state record was 892 in 2003.

So why get involved?

Well, perhaps we can help experts answer questions like how this winter's snow and cold influence bird populations; why are there winter finches and other "irruptive" species in large numbers some years and not others; how will the timing of birds' migrations compare with past years; what impact are diseases like West Nile having in different regions; and are any birds undergoing worrisome declines?