JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Missouri River Bird Observatory (MRBO), and the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation (MCHF) invite both new and experienced birders to join in the last of a special series of free birding webinars in preparation for the first ever Missouri Birding Challenge (MBC) — May 1-15!
Join experienced birders and those new to the activity for the first ever Missouri Birding Challenge — May 1-15! Get prepared through special MDC webinars, including “Seven Simple Actions to Help Birds at Home” on May 1.
Join the final webinar on Seven Simple Actions to Help Birds at Home with Dana Ripper of the MRBO on Thursday, May 1, from 6-7 p.m. Birds are in trouble. Research shows a loss of nearly a third of North American birds over the past 50 years. Don’t lose hope! Learn how to help bird populations at home and how to make a big impact with just seven simple actions.
Register in advance for the webinar and then join live May 1 at 6 p.m. Registered attendees will receive a reminder email before the webinar. Register at mdc.webex.com/weblink/register/r1d047279e4ce9428de97c3c38ded815a
MORE ON THE MISSOURI BIRDING CHALLENGE
The Missouri Birding Challenge (MBC) has been created through a partnership among MDC, USFWS, MRBO, and the MCHF. MBC participants will compete alone or on a team in different birding categories based on their ages, birding experience, and comfort levels. Birders will use eBird (eBird.org) to record their lists of birds identified at public natural areas around the state, or even in their own backyards. There is a fee of $10-$25 per person or team depending on the category. Fees go toward migratory bird conservation efforts.
Once participants complete a category, they will be entered into a drawing for fun, bird-related prizes such as binoculars and gift cards. The Columbia Audubon Society (columbia-audubon.org/) and the Missouri Birding Society (mobirds.org/) are prize sponsors of the MBC.
Learn more about the MBC and related topics at mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/activities/birdwatching/missouri-birding-challenge. Registration will be open April 1-30 through the webpage.
MISSED A WEBINAR?
View recordings of past webinars on the MBC webpage at mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/activities/birdwatching/missouri-birding-challenge. Past webinars are:
- Introduction and Benefits to Birding with MDC Ornithologist Kristen Heath-Acre,
- eBird and Citizen Science with USFWS Ornithologist Sarah Kendrick,
- Missouri Birds and Habitats with USFWS Ornithologist Sarah Kendrick, and
- The Full Annual Cycle of Bird Conservation with MDC Ornithologist Kristen Heath-Acre.