All invited to participate in Backyard Bird Count

STATEWIDE — People across Maine are asked to take a break this winter and look out their windows during the Great Backyard Bird Count, taking place February 15-18.

The annual Great Backyard Bird Count is the perfect opportunity for participants to relax and enjoy nature wherever they are while being part of a very important study that helps better define bird ranges, populations, migration pathways and habitat needs. And this year, the count is going global with the integration of E-Bird, the worldwide bird data collection program.

Although it's called the Great "Backyard" Bird Count, the count extends well beyond backyards. Many participants choose to head for national parks, nature centers, urban parks, even ski resorts. Anyone can participate in this free event. Participants watch and count birds for at least 15 minutes on any or all days of the count, then enter their results online at www.birdcount.org.

How popular is the event? Last year, a record-breaking 104,151 checklists were submitted with bird counters identifying 623 species in the United States and Canada. Participants set new checklist records in 22 states, including Maine, and in six Canadian provinces.

Results from the 2012 BirdCount included:

• The Northern Cardinal held the record of the most reported bird overall.

• Snowy Owls and redpolls irrupted into the Great Plains and the West in the largest numbers ever recorded in the 15-year history of the Great Backyard Bird Count.

• Reports indicated low numbers of Blue Jays in the East. Last year, Maine participants submitted 1,733 checklists reporting 106 different species.

For more information about the Great Backyard Bird Count, visit www.birdcount.org. Participants are also welcome to pick up bird count worksheets, ask questions, and submit checklists to Wild Birds Unlimited Nature Shop of South Portland, 771-2473.