Birds: Using eBird to create a connection between kids and nature Written by Dr. Heather Scott, Instructor of Science Education at Georgia Southern University Picture this: It is February 16th, 5:30 am and five kids head out onto a nature trail to look for owls! Sounds unbelievable? Well, it's true. Our family rented a cabin in the Okefenokee Swamp to bird watch, and our teenagers spent every free moment exploring outside to add birds to their eBird lists. Now I may be mistaken, but that’s not typically how teenagers are spending their time on their phones these days. Yet, these kids have all created accounts and are adding to their life lists as often as they can. If you are even mildly interested in birds and want to learn more and contribute to a worldwide database then eBird is the place to start. So, how DO you get started?Your first step is to create an account before you can enter your sightings. Once you register for an account, download the eBird app to use on your phone and use your login credentials. Now that you have set up an eBird account, then you are ready to record observations.
What are you waiting for?
Birds are outside right now, waiting for you to notice them! You don’t have to plan an elaborate trip or even leave your neighborhood. You can observe the birds right outside your window to start your bird list on eBird. The bird photos included in this blog were taken by my daughter, Emmaline Scott, on the trip to the swamp. Her fascination with birds has extended to nature photography.
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June 2019
CategoriesSupported by the Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine under the Grant Agreement: 20000G9576
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