December 1, 2011 - It’s for the birds! This Saturday, December 3, dozens of boy and girl scouts will spend the morning at the zoo - looking for animals outside the exhibits. They’re looking for birds, to be precise, in Anchorage’s second Christmas Bird Count for Kids. The scouts will be assembling at the zoo around 9am and “birding” on zoo grounds from approximately 10am to 11am.
The idea is simple – to identify and count as many birds as you can. The official Christmas Bird Count lasts for a full day. The Christmas Bird Count for Kids is a shorter version, so kids can try out what it’s like to be a citizen scientist, learning how to identify common birds to compiling data. They will learn about the Christmas Bird Count and winter birds, then spend an hour in groups, led by birding experts to look for wild birds in the zoo. Afterwards, between 11am and 1pm, the groups will gather to tally their lists (and warm up with hot chocolate).
Last year, kids spotted 12 species of wild birds at the zoo, including Common Raven, Pine Grosbeak, Hairy Woodpecker, and Boreal Chickadee.
The Christmas Bird Count is an annual event organized by the Audubon Society held for more than a century; this year is the 112th count. It is one of the longest running citizen science projects in the world. Enthusiastic volunteers have performed Christmas Bird Counts in Alaska since before statehood.
The event is sponsored by the Alaska Zoo, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Audubon Alaska, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service in coordination with Boy and Girl Scout troops from around the city. For more information about the Annual Christmas Bird Count in Alaska, please contact Beth Peluso with Audubon Alaska, via
email or by phone at (907) 276-7034.
