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Published on 02/06/14

Great Backyard Bird Count event set at Rock Eagle 4-H Center

Become a citizen scientist Saturday, Feb. 15 and help Rock Eagle 4-H Center take an inventory of its wild bird population.

Expert and beginner birders alike are invited to walk the 4-H center’s property and scout for waterfowl, songbirds, woodpeckers, raptors and other birds. The bird-scouting event is part of The Great Backyard Bird Count, an annual four-day event set for Feb. 14 through Feb. 17.

All sightings at Rock Eagle will be submitted to the GBBS website, www.birdcount.org. Researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society use the information to learn more about how birds are doing and how to protect them and the environment.

“Our count will be part of a global event as birders from all over the world submit checklists. All participants will be a part of a fun, international research experience,” said Rock Eagle Environmental Educator Matt Schenck.

Last year, participants across the nation turned in more than 134,000 online checklists, creating the world's largest instantaneous snapshot of bird populations.

Participants to the Rock Eagle event can bring binoculars and field guides or borrow them from the center. Appropriate clothing and footwear should be worn for two hours of birding outdoors.

Sessions are appropriate for all ages and cost $5 per person. The program runs from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and includes an optional visit to Rock Eagle’s natural history museum.

Call Laura Kent at (706) 484-2881 or email her at lmkent@uga.edu to register.

Different programs take place each Saturday at Rock Eagle, excluding December. A complete list of Saturday at the Rock sessions can be found online www.rockeagle4h.org/ee/community/SaturdayattheRock.html.

Experts/Sources:
Arch D. Smith
The Great Backyard Bird Count - American Robin
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