NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 13, 2012
For More Information:
Logan Stewart, Manager, Marketing & Public Relations 704.619.0811
Take Flight at the Great Backyard Bird Count
Charlotte Nature Museum Creature Feature is part of nationwide bird count effort
Charlotte, NC – A little bird told us… Citizen scientists of all ages are needed to help count birds and tally fine feathered species in the Museum’s very own backyard as part of an annual national project. Join us for a bird’s-eye view of what makes bird populations, migration pathways and habitats so important at the February Creature Feature event Great Backyard Bird Count, Saturday, February 18 from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
We’re all aflutter about how much feathered fun we are going to have…from avian activities to feathered facts you’re sure to fly away with something new. Did you know birds are active and constantly on the move, and therefore scientists and bird enthusiasts have difficulty documenting the complex migration patterns of so many species? As part of a national study project at Cornell University that investigates trends in bird populations, the annual Great Backyard Bird Count creates a real-time snapshot of where birds are by engaging bird-watchers nationwide to observe and count birds in their local communities. By participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count at Charlotte Nature Museum on February 18 YOU will help gather data for a national bird count database including:
- · How this winter’s weather has influenced bird populations;
- · What species tend to wander over a wide geographic area in winter to find food;
- · If there have been late winter movements from different species, and;
- · What bird species are migrating or overwintering in Charlotte.
It’s for the birds… after greeting friendly feathered visitors the cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus), the blue and gold macaw (Ara ararauna) and others, put a feather in your cap and enter ‘the field’ on the Museum’s outdoor Paw Paw Nature Trail to make observations and collect information for the Count. Museum Naturalists will lead tours to search for winged wonders which may include the Northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), Downy woodpecker (Picoides pubescens), and black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus). Did you know that the ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is one of many neotropical migrant birds that breed in North America during the summer and then fly south to spend the bulk of the year in Mexico, Central or South America, or the Caribbean?
Chirp over other special activities including story time featuring titles “Are You My Mother?” by P.D. Eastman, “Robins in the Garden” by Olive L. Earle and “All Night Near the Water” by Jim Aronsky, and our interactive Puppet Show “The Shadow Knows”. Our friends from Wild Birds Unlimited will be visiting with information about bird feeders and the proper way to feed wild birds in your yard.
During the 2011 Great Backyard Bird Count at Charlotte Nature Museum counted a total of 31 different species of birds including 30 cedar waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum), a migratory bird that overwinters in Charlotte and is often heard but rarely seen. North Carolina reported a total of 180 species in 2011 and submitted the fourth most bird checklists in the nation to the Count.
Creature Features, presented by Earth Fare and supported by The Guild of Discovery Place & Charlotte Nature Museum, are monthly special events and include crafts, puppet shows, storytelling and refreshments. Creature Feature activities are free with Museum admission. Admission: $6 ages two and older, younger-than-two and Members are free. Parking is free.
Charlotte Nature Museum is located at 1658 Sterling Road, Charlotte. Hours are: Tuesday-Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; Sunday noon – 5:00 p.m.; and closed on Monday.
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