Sault Naturalists hope more 'feeder watchers' take part in Christmas Bird Count

NEWS RELEASE
SAULT NATURALISTS
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The Sault Ste. Marie Bird Count is a back for another year! On Dec. 14, 2019, you can help count birds to help us better understand local bird populations. This will be the 64th time this annual tradition has taken place here in Sault Ste. Marie.

The count circle has a 12 km radius, centred at the US/Canada border on the International Bridge, so it encompasses both the Ontario and Michigan cities.

You can participate by being a feeder observer or a feeder watcher. Field observers travel by foot and car throughout their designated areas within the circle. Feeder watchers count birds at their backyard feeders.

This year, the Sault Naturalists would really like to increase the number of feeder watchers that participate.

Started in 1900, the Christmas Bird Count is North America's longest-running citizen science project. Counts happen in over 2,000 localities throughout the Western Hemisphere. The information collected by thousands of volunteer participants forms one of the world's largest sets of wildlife survey data. The results are used daily by conservation biologists and naturalists to assess the population trends and distribution of birds throughout North America.

Last year, 60 different bird species were recorded, with a total of 6,204 individual birds.

To sign up to participate or to learn more, please contact Dave Euler at [email protected] or 705-254-8796.

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