The Great Backyard Bird Count

Date: February 1, 2014

SAVANNAH, GA – Bird watchers of all ages are invited to participate in the 2014 Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) at Fort Pulaski National Monument from Saturday, February 15 to Monday, February 17, 2014. The park will also be offering free admission on these dates in honor of Presidents Day weekend. 

Anyone from novice to expert bird watchers can take part in this annual event. No registration is needed. Bird checklists can be picked up at the Fort Pulaski Visitor Center. To participate, plan to count birds for at least 15 minutes on at least one day of the count. You can count birds on as many days as you like. Just complete a separate checklist for each new day. When you’re finished, enter your list online at www.BirdCount.org. All numbers will be tabulated for the park’s annual bird count. 

For more information: https://www.nps.gov/fopu/naturescience/the-great-backyard-bird-count.htm

Starting in February, Fort Pulaski National Monument will be partnering with the Ogeechee Audubon Society, the Savannah chapter of the National Audubon Society. Every 3rd Saturday at 8:00 AM, members of this organization will lead bird walks in the park. As the seasons change and birds migrate, there will be the opportunity to see new and different birds. The first program of this collaboration will be on Saturday, February 15. Interested birders can meet Nick Martens and Maureen Leong-kee near the park’s Entrance Station at 8:00 AM. We will be on the lookout for marsh sparrows, shorebirds, and sedge wrens. At 9:00 AM, Nick and Maureen will lead a bird walk through the park. These special programs will be offered each month at no charge.  

The information from the bird count shows how a species’ range expands or shrinks over time. A big change, noted consistently over a period of years, is an indication that something is happening in the environment that is affecting the birds and that should be followed up on. All the information from the GBBC goes into a massive bird database called the Avian Knowledge Network (AKN).

Fort Pulaski National Monument is located off U.S. Highway 80, 12 miles east of Savannah.
For more information, please call the park at [phone] or visit the park website at www.nps.gov/fopu. Learn more about Fort Pulaski National Monument on Facebook www.facebook.com/FortPulaskiNPS and Twitter www.twitter.com/FortPulaskiNPS.

-NPS-