February can be cold and tough for many. Snow, ice and freezing temperatures are certainly hard for me to handle at times. This month we are encouraged to consider our feathered friends, too! February became National (USA) Bird Feeding Month in 1994 when former Illinois Congressman John Porter proposed it in order to help bird populations survive the difficult winter months. National Bird Feeding Month encourages people to provide food, water, and shelter to wild birds in areas with cold temperatures and limited natural resources like plants and berries.
During National Bird Feeding Month each February, Cornell Lab, The National Audubon Society and Birds Canada coordinate the Great Backyard Bird Count! This year the dates are February 12-15, 2021. This is a global citizen-science project that helps count birds and gather data about bird populations, fluctuations and migration patterns. According to their website the last year’s data included:
Great Backyard Bird Count results from 2020:
- 268,674 Estimated Participants
- 27,270,156 Total Birds Counted
- 6,942 Species of Birds Identified
- 194 Countries
I have some bird folks in my life, not just amateur “birders” or “twitchers”, but people who actually are ornithology majors and research people!! I’m sure they would like a bird themed letter and if 😉 they write me back, I will most certainly learn a lot!
Won’t you join me in helping feed the birds in February!? Of course you must send some bird themed snailmail and tell your penpal(or me) about all of the bird species you’ve noted in your backyard! And don’t forget to go to The Great Backyard Bird Count and log your sightings!! 🦅
“Consider the birds of the air...”
XOXO,
Mrs. Murphy
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