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Counting Birds |
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Counting Birds Count
Procedure
Teaching Materials NSES
Bird References Bibliography
Technology Corner
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Standard procedure for counting birds 1. Determine the limits of the FeederWatch Count Site, the area containing feeders that you can see from your classroom window or walk to in the schoolyard. 2. Establish a schedule for counting birds. Try to have at least one count period each week. Your class may count birds on any schedule that is convenient for you. (Just be sure to record how long you spend counting birds each time.) 3. Using the Bird Count Tally Sheet, students should write down the name of each species they see at the Count Site and record the highest number of each species that they see at one time during the scheduled count period. By counting only the highest number of birds seen at one time, you avoid counting any bird more than once. If you are having trouble attracting birds see What If No Birds Show Up At Our Feeder? 4. Count as accurately as possible. Sometimes exact counts can be difficult when the birds are flying about; tell students to make their best estimate. For tips on counting, see Tricky Counts and Special Cases. 5. At the end of the count period, circle your highest bird counts on your Tally Sheet. 6. Count the birds at your feeder at least once per week throughout the FeederWatch season. 7. Submit you bird-count data to the Lab via the Internet any time Between November 13 and the end of the school year. How important is accuracy? Correctly identifying your feeder birds is critical if you are sending counts to the FeederWatch database. For help with bird identification, consult the Common Feeder Birds Poster and refer to a field guide. You also must count your birds as accurately as possible. Sometimes exact counts are difficult, especially for species that roam in large flocks. In challenging situations, make your best estimate; careful estimates will still help us identify large-scale changes in bird numbers from week to week and year to year. See Tricky Counts and Special Cases for counting tips.
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