birding

Education, Featured, Main Feed

eBird: The Gamification of Birding?

Growing up in the ’90s you could definitely consider me a part of the “Pokémon Generation.” Throughout my childhood I played games like Sonic, Zelda, Mario, but the one that seemed to have the biggest impact on me and my friends was Pokémon. We spent countless hours battling, training, trading—but most of all collecting Pokémon.

I confess to still being a fan of the series and continue to play the newest games today (while gleefully passing on “adult” shooter and sports games).

What does this have to do with birds?

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Written by: Jeff Mann

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Birding Summary, Featured, Main Feed, News

Participating in the Christmas Bird Count

December is coming to a close, and some of you may have participated in one or more “Christmas Bird Counts.” What is a Christmas Bird Count, you may ask? Well, it is an annual “bird census” that is performed by volunteers mainly in North America during the month of December. Over 100 years ago people used to go on what were known as “Side Hunts” where they shot and killed as many birds as possible, trying to kill more than their peers. They recklessly did this every year without regard for bird species or rarity. In the year 1900 Frank Chapman suggested to do a bird count rather than a hunting contest (go conservation!), thus the Christmas Bird Count was born.

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Written by: Jeff Mann

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