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from The Mini Page © 2014 Universal UclickAn Avian Census

Counting Birds Seventeen years ago, when the Internet was brand-new, bird experts at National Audubon Society and Cornell Lab of Ornithology had a question: Would ordinary people count birds and contribute their results to an online survey? The answer was yes, and the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) was born. In fact, in 1997, 13,000 people from North America entered their checklists. The 2014 Great Backyard Bird Count will take place Feb. 14-17. Will you help count birds? The Mini Page spoke with an expert at Audubon to find out more about this important census*.

Counting internationally In 2013, for the first time, the GBBC extended beyond North America. People submitted bird counts:    • from 111 countries and territories;    • from all seven continents;    • and in four different languages. This GBBC was the largest worldwide instant “snapshot” of bird populations ever taken.

Why do we count birds? Birds are constantly on the move. Many species migrate, or travel, to find warmer weather or better sources of food. It would be impossible for one scientist or even one team of scientists to study the movements of so many birds over a short time. With information collected from bird counts such as the GBBC over many years, scientists can answer questions they have about birds and their environments.

*A census (SEN-suhs) is an official count or survey of a population.

American goldfinch

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Christmas Bird Count Did you participate in the Christmas Bird Count? This 114-year-old tradition is a more structured count that takes place in December and January. People sign up for a “circle,” and a compiler collects the information they gather. Each count takes place in a 15-mile-diameter circle.

“Look! There he is up there!”These kids in Georgia were part of the 2013 Great Backyard Bird Count. The GBBC is great for families and kids because people can count anywhere and at any time of day.

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Sandhill cranes take flight at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico.

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This mottled wood owl was spotted in India during the 2013 GBBC.

photo by Ravi Meghani, 2013 GBBC participant

Words to Know:“Avian” means related to birds. “Ornithology” is the study of birds.

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They’re Counting on You

Words that remind us of counting birds are hidden in the block below. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find: AUDUBON, AVIAN, BACKYARD, BINOCULARS, BIRD, CARDINAL, CENSUS, CORNELL, COUNT, ENVIRONMENT, ESTIMATE, FEEDER, GREAT, INTERNATIONAL, IRRUPTION, LAPWING, MANNERS, RANGE.

Counting Birds try ’n’find

Keep your bacKyard feeder

filled!

J N T N E M N O R I V N E L D E S R A L U C O N I B W G A R T R V C U O G O I D M X N P A A E F E E D E R R T R K A W Y M N N N L G U G E N P I R I K I N A S Z Y C B W A E U B N C T A I U G T N U O C T L R G A S M V S C A R D I N A L L R B E L A N O I T A N R E T N I I

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ready resourcesfrom The Mini Page © 2014 Universal Uclick

The Mini Page provides ideas for websites, books or other resources that will help you learn more about this week’s topics.On the Web:• birdsource.org/gbbc/2013%20GBBC%20Instructions.pdf• birdsource.org/gbbc/kids• birdsource.org/gbbc/learning/for-educatorsAt the library:    • “National Geographic Kids Bird Guide of North America” by Jonathan Alderfer    • “Look Up! Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard” by Annette LeBlanc Cate

Are you ready to count? The Mini Page provides some ideas to help you get started. To watch birds, you might use:    • a guidebook to help you identify species    • a camera    • comfortable clothing    • binoculars    • a small notebook or checklist to record birds you’ve seen. It’s important to use good birding manners, including:    • Be quiet! This will also help you listen for bird calls.    • Take extra care when you come upon nesting areas. When setting up a feeder:    • Make sure there’s cover close by for the birds, such as a bush.    • Also provide water for birds.    • Use several different types of bird feed and different kinds of feeders if possible. This will help you attract different kinds of birds.    Good luck counting!

Here are some birds you are most likely to see during your bird count. Look each one up in a book or on the Internet, then put a check mark next to the ones you might see where you live.

Downy woodpecker

American crow

House finch

Black-capped chickadee

Snow goose

Blue jay

Red-breasted nuthatch

photo by Ella Clem, 2013 GBBC participant

photo by Paul Powers, 2013 GBBC participant

photo by William Telfair, 2013 GBBC participant

photo by Linda Pizer, 2013 GBBC participant

photo by Bette Parette, 2013 GBBC participant

photo by Christine Haines, 2013 GBBC participant

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Rookie Cookie’s RecipeChocolate Peanut Butter Crispies

You’ll need:• 16 ounces confectioners’ sugar• 11/2 cups melted butter• 2 cups creamy peanut butter• 41/2 cups crispy rice cerealWhat to do:1. Combine confectioners’ sugar, melted butter and peanut butter in a

large bowl. Beat with a hand mixer on slow speed until well-blended.2. Stir in crispy rice cereal and add candy-coated chocolate pieces.3. Coat a 9-by-13-inch glass baking pan with cooking spray.4. Press mixture into dish.5. Melt chocolate chip morsels in microwave and spread evenly over top

of mixture.6.  Chill until set and cut into squares. Makes 24-30 squares.You will need an adult’s help with this recipe.

from The Mini Page © 2014 Universal Uclick

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from The Mini Page © 2014 Universal Uclick

Meet Jack McBrayer Jack McBrayer is the voice of Wander in the Disney Channel animated series “Wander Over Yonder.” Jack has acted in several TV shows, including “30 Rock.” He has been a voice actor in several other TV shows, including Fix-It Felix Jr. in “Wreck-It Ralph” and Irving in “Phineas and Ferb.” He acts in “Knock-Knock Joke of the Day” 

in the Nickelodeon Channel TV show “Yo Gabba Gabba!” He has also acted in several movies and commercials. Jack, 40, was born in Macon, Ga. He studied theater management in college. He still takes piano lessons and performs in comedy shows in Los Angeles.

from The Mini Page © 2014 Universal Uclick

Betty: What bird is known to be very rude?Bob: A mockingbird!

Barry: How is your backyard like the Vatican in Rome?

Barbara: They both have cardinals!

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All the following jokes have something in common. Can you guess the common theme or category?

Bill: Why do birds fly south?Bertha: Because it takes too long to walk!

Mini Spy . . .Mini Spy and Rookie Cookie are putting up feeders for their backyard birds. See if you can find: • question mark• letter D  • duck • bell  • number 3  • letter C• hamburger • ladder • lips • strawberry • word MINI• puppy  • sailboat  • dragon  • sea horse• dolphin  • needle  • butterfly  • teapot

from The Mini Page © 2014 Universal Uclick

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•  1 cup red and pink candy-coated chocolate pieces

• 1 cup chocolate chip morsels

from The Mini Page © 2014 Universal Uclick

Supersport: Breanna StewartHeight: 6-4 Hometown: Syracuse, N.Y. It was at last year’s Final Four, when the pressure was greatest and the lights were brightest, that freshman Breanna Stewart joined the University of Connecticut’s galaxy of women’s basketball stars. She led the Huskies to their eighth national title and won

Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four honors. Expect more shining moments like that one, as Stewart is off to a sparkling start this season.    A National High School Player of the Year at Cicero-North Syracuse, Stewart is a 6-4 forward who is hard to guard. She averaged 18.1 points and more than 8 rebounds in the first 15 games this season, while leading UConn to a No. 1 ranking. The bad news for opponents is that they have to face her for three more years. Stewart possesses more than extraordinary basketball skills. She also was a star student in high school and winner of an outstanding character award.

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from The Mini Page © 2014 Universal Uclick

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Get Ready to Count

The Mini Page StaffBetty Debnam - Founding Editor and Editor at Large Lisa Tarry - Managing Editor Lucy Lien - Associate Editor Wendy Daley - Artist

There are many ways to get involved in the Great Backyard Bird Count. You can count on your own or with your family, either in your yard or away from home. You can also make the GBBC a project for your Scout troop, classroom or youth group. It may help to have an adult lead the group and assist as you identify and report birds.How to be a bird counter 1. Count birds anywhere you want for at least 15 minutes. Keep track of the kinds of birds you see and how long you watch.

3. Count all birds carefully, whether common or unusual. 4. Don’t worry about counting the same birds as someone else. The computer program that analyzes the data you enter takes into account where counters are and when birds were counted, then it adjusts the statistics.

Tips for bird counters The National Audubon Society offers some tips to help your count go smoothly. 1. Not every bird has to be identified or counted. Identify and count what you can for as long as you can, and try to be accurate about the amount of time you spent watching. 2. There are no winning numbers. Low numbers, zero, or no reports are often more important to conservation efforts than big numbers.

Include the type of count you did. Traveling means you walked a trail or drove around a wildlife refuge. Stationary means you stayed in one place (perhaps watching a feeder from your window). Incidental means you saw a bird while doing something else.

2. Make an estimate of how many birds you see of each species. 3. Create an online account at birdcount.org. Enter your data here. You will make a new list for each time you count.

Today’s Birds– 6 Black-

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– 1 American robin

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Next week, The Mini Page is all about sled dogs.

Look through your newspaper for stories about local birds.

The Mini Page thanks Zachary Slavin, program associate, National Audubon Society, for help with this issue.

What have we learned? In the 2013 GBBC, more than 3,600 species were reported. Mexico had the most species spotted, with 645, followed by the United States with 638. India and Costa Rica both reported more than 500 species. The birds reported most were North American birds because more people on this continent participated. The northern cardinal was the leader, with almost 47,000 reported. Past GBBCs have provided useful information not only about birds, but also about our environment. Scientists look at a species’ range, or where it’s spotted, to learn about climate change and diseases, such as the West Nile virus.

A bird irruption An irruption occurs when birds or other animals migrate into an area in unusually large numbers. In 2013, counters reported larger numbers than usual of crossbills, finches and nuthatches in southern areas of North America. They believe this was because northern trees and crops provided fewer seeds for these birds to eat.A stormy ride When Hurricane Sandy made landfall in New Jersey and New York in October 2012, it left a well-traveled visitor: the northern lapwing. This bird usually lives in Europe, but after the storm several were sighted from Newfoundland to New Jersey! 

Northern cardinal

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