Most people feed birds in their yards for personal enjoyment.
In the process, they supplement food and water for birds that feed in the wild. Snowy days, especially, are tough on birds as they lose access to food and water sources.
But home feeders also serve as eyes across America for scientists who study the status of bird populations. That's why Americans nationwide will count birds today through Monday during the Great Backyard Bird Count.
The count is a project developed and managed by the National Audubon Society, Cornell Lab of Ornithology with sponsorship from Wild Birds Unlimited and the National Resources Conservation Service.
The numbers help experts determine the status of birds continentwide while encouraging people to turn their back yards into habitats.
Submit observations between today and Monday to www.birdsource.org.
Fill out a form available at Wild Birds Unlimited, 34th Avenue and Coulter Street.
Cornell's totals from last year's count indicated that 50,000 checklists were submitted from across America.
Eighty percent of U.S. households have private lawns, space used to feed and water North American birds. Bird feeding becomes more important each year as 2.1 million acres of land are converted to residential use annually in the United States.
To participate, people need to submit observations through BirdSource, www.birdsource.org anytime between today and Monday, according to Linda Vanderveer, media manager for the National Audubon Society.
People can participate for five minutes or several hours, Vanderveer said. She encourages any participation by groups such as Scout troops, nature clubs or other organizations as well. Directions are available online. Anyone who doesn't have access to the Web site can pick up forms at the Wild Birds Unlimited store at 34th Avenue and Coulter Street.
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