MDC is connecting bird enthusiasts with Project FeederWatch in the KC area

Kansas City, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is offering free programs in the Kansas City area that connect people who enjoy birds with Project FeederWatch. The project involves recording bird sightings at feeders during the winter months. This citizen science effort helps researchers track bird populations and movements. Project FeederWatch is operated by Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Birds Canada.

People can participate in the program by recording birds at home feeders. But they can also participate by reporting birds sighted on designated days at MDC’s Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs and the Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center in Kansas City.

• Burr Oak Woods staff will offer a virtual Project FeederWatch program from 9 to 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 1. All ages are welcome. Registration is required. To register, visit http://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZGn.
• An in-person session will also be offered by the Burr Oak Woods staff from 9 to 10:30 on Wednesday, Nov. 1. All ages are welcome. To register, visit http://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZNA.
• MDC’s Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center staff will offer Project FeederWatch training programs from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and from 12:30 to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11. These sessions are open to participants ages 9 and older. They are on a walk-in basis. Registration is not required. Participants are encouraged to bring digital devices such as phones and pads, as using technology is part of the process.

Project FeederWatch is a good way to learn more about birds and connect with nature. For more information about the program, visit FeederWatch - Count Feeder Birds for Science. Information about Burr Oak Woods is available at  https://mdc.mo.gov/burroakwoods, and learn about Discovery Center at https://mdc.mo.gov/discoverycenter.