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Bird lovers in our area will soon have a chance to take part in some intensive bird atlasing and engage in some friendly competitions. 

In 2021, the NC Wildlife Resources Commission embarked on a 5-year statewide citizen-science project, the NC Bird Atlas. 

Harnessing the power of thousands of volunteer birdwatchers, reported observations during this time will help map the distribution and abundance of birds from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Outer Banks. These observations will give researchers a comprehensive picture of bird populations across the state and the data gathered will then guide conservation efforts.

On June 16, the NC Bird Atlas Team will host a “how to participate” webinar from 6-7 p.m. The presentation will include Atlas Basics and answer any questions you might have.

On June 21, register to attend the virtual “kickoff” of the Big Atlas Weekend, from 6-8 p.m., with an Introduction by Atlas coordinators followed by Trivia Game, led by the NC Bird Atlas team. You must register for this event.

On June 23-25, from 6 p.m. on Friday to 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, go atlasing! Choose any under-visited priority block and just observe! Be sure to submit your checklist through the North Carolina Breeding Bird Atlas portal in eBird. All information can be found at www.ebird.org/atlasnc/.

Submitted by Pam Torlina