Now in its 9th year, the Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all levels in counting birds and reporting their results. It is Hosted By the National Audubon Society & Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. Last year they received 52,000 checklists identifying a record-breaking 613 species!

Your kids and students can participate and become "citizen scientists" by taking time over the weekend (from February 18 to the 21st) to go outside and record the highest number of birds of each species that they see at any one time.

Things you can do to get involved:

• Review the "Be an Ornithologist" challenge with your child.
• Print this checklist and take it outside for your bird counting.
• Bring a camera to photograph what you see (birds and more!) and create new discoveries on Backyard Jungle. If you don't have a camera, sketch pictures so you can submit them with the Backyard Jungle drawing tool.
• You can add your results to the Great Backyard Bird Count database and watch as thousands of other people contribute their results. Go to the Great Backyard Bird Count website for more information.

Check out some of the bird discoveries already on Backyard Jungle:

• A fledgling robin by wildbird
• A cardinal by Shesha
• A dove drawn by naturemuser
• A bald eagle by Jack Russell Terriers