Bird Count

by Susan Edwards Richmond and Stephanie Fizer Coleman

“'Count every bird you see or hear … Make sure at least two people... read more

“'Count every bird you see or hear … Make sure at least two people see or hear it. And don’t count any bird twice. ’” These are the rules of the Christmas Bird Count, a collective action by citizen scientists that takes place from Canada to Antarctica. Brown-skinned Ava, her mother, and team leader Big Al observe the birds in their area on this cold winter day, recording the type and number that appear: eight goldfinches, three mallards, one great blue heron, and many more. Ava hopes to see a raven—they’re rare, and last year she was disappointed in her search. They drive from stop to stop, keeping their eyes peeled as they go. At the end of the day, the circle chief combines the counts of all ten teams in Ava’s count circle while the citizen scientists enjoy a bonfire together. Young readers inspired to participate in this annual census may benefit from the additional descriptions of the many species spotted by Ava and her team provided in the back of the book. (Ages 5–9)

© Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2020

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