Monday bird count in Poplar Bluff needing volunteers

The Christmas Bird Count is the longest-running wildlife census in the world. Data from the nearly 2,000 count circles is recorded and made available for scientists and individuals in order to assess bird populations and guide conservation action. This will be the 112th official Christmas Bird Count.

The Poplar Bluff Christmas Bird Count is a 30-year local tradition. About 80 species and tens of thousands of birds will be counted in the seven-and-a-half-mile radius on the count day.

The Poplar Bluff Christmas Bird Count will be Monday. New and experienced birders will get together for a day of fellowship, discovery and citizen science. All interested people are invited.

Volunteers participate in several ways. Most participate in teams of two to five, surveying a sector of the count circle. Some people count birds at their home feeders or in a nearby park.

If interested, call Bruce Beck, the count organizer, at 573-785-3871 or email beckbugs@mycitycable.com.