People across the continent can help make bird-watching history on February 20, 21, and 22 by participating in the first-ever BirdSource Great '98 Backyard Bird Count, cosponsored by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology (CLO) and the National Audubon Society.

The BirdSource Great '98 count, the first of its kind, invites every family and individual in the country to count the birds they see at their bird feeders, backyards, local parks or other outdoor locations, as a way to help scientists learn more about North American birds. Participants contribute their sightings online, through a World Wide Web site, "BirdSource" http://birds.cornell.edu/pfw, a joint project of Audubon and CLO. In turn, BirdSource will provide almost instantaneous feedback to participants through graphics, animated maps, and regularly updated information summaries.

"The BirdSource Great '98 Backyard Bird Count is a state-of-the-art project and a great family activity. It's fun, it's easy to participate in, and it's good for science. All you need is a love of the outdoors and access to an online computer," said Cornell Lab of Ornithology Director John Fitzpatrick. "Everyone who participates in the BirdSource Great '98 Backyard Bird Count will be able to tell generations to come that they helped make history."

On the weekend of February 20, 21, and 22, parents, children, grandparents--anyone with an interest in birds and access to the Internet--should watch their bird feeders and count the maximum number of the different bird species they see. Those without feeders can count the birds in their backyards, neighborhoods, or local parks. Participants can spend as little or as much time as they want counting birds during the three-day period. "If each of the estimated 60 million bird watchers in the United States would tell us what they see, even during just one of the count days, this would add significantly to our knowledge of North American birds," says Audubon Senior Vice President for Science Frank Gill. "We'll know which species are being seen where, and this kind of information could help us determine current distribution and abundance."

The easy-to-use scroll-down forms will be interpreted by scientists at CLO and Audubon, and virtually up-to-the-minute information in the form of graphs, tables, charts, and animated maps will be available at the BirdSource Great '98 web site. "Watching the count results will be like watching election returns from all across the country, right on your own computer screen," says CLO's Fitzpatrick. "This exciting and engaging technology--a tool that just wasn't available before the creation of BirdSource--is revolutionizing our ability to keep track of birds."

BirdSource contributors have already helped make some exciting discoveries. The North American Winter Finch Survey, online through BirdSource, is indicating that this may be a record-breaking year for winter finches. These species--Pine Siskin, Red Crossbill, White-winged Crossbill, Pine Grosbeak, Evening Grosbeak, Purple Finch, Common Redpoll, and Hoary Redpoll--typically remain in Canada throughout the year. Every few winter seasons, however, they stream into the U.S., probably due to a shortage of winter food seeds. BirdSource is recording the exceptional 1997-98 invasion as it is happening and displaying these findings through colorfully animated maps. Images of each species, examples of their vocalizations, and information about their ranges are also easily accessed through the BirdSource winter finch site.

Households participating in Project FeederWatch--a winter survey of North American feeder birds--have also been using BirdSource to log their counts, giving scientists insight into winter bird distribution.

Visitors at the BirdSource site will also be able to see photos of birds, hear their calls and songs, and learn which species are of conservation concern. They will also be able to click to a section on citizen science programs such as Project FeederWatch. Home page links to both the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society will be at the BirdSource web site as well. More information may be obtained from the CLO at 1-800-843-2473 (in Canada, call 607-254-2440) or write: Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology/BSO, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850.

The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology is a membership institute dedicated to the study, appreciation, and conservation of birds worldwide. The Lab maintains programs in academic research, public education, and citizen science to foster understanding about nature and the importance of the earth's biological diversity.

Founded in 1903 and supported by over 550,000 members in 518 chapters throughout the Americas, the National Audubon Society strives to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds and other wildlife for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity.