Get Someone Hooked on Birds!

Giving a bird feeder for Christmas can go a really long way! Aside from the daily activity in the yard, citizen science is an interesting and critical aspect.

What's citizen science? It's data that comes from you and me, from folks who enjoy birding in general. Events like the Christmas Bird Count (going on its 116th year) and the Great Backyard Bird Count are sponsored by groups like the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon Society.

Individual data is submitted online (or via snail mail) and tracked to formulate the happenings of our environment. Yes... birds absolutely tell us about our ever-changing world!

Growing wildly in popularity over the years as more and more folks delve into the awesome hobby of backyard bird feeding, the findings give a concrete picture of climate change  through changing bird ranges. It's a great way to get out and meet like-minded people too!

For more information on this year's Christmas Bird Count, visit Audubon's site. Print out a page for this years' count and tuck it in with your bird feeder gift. It gives the recipient the chance to get involved in a worthy cause and do something new... and it gives back too!

http://www.audubon.org/conservation/christmas-bird-count-compiler-resources