JEFFERSON CITY, MO, JAN. 27, 2020 – Join staff at Bennett Spring State Park from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15 for the 23rd annual Great Backyard Bird Count supported by the National Audubon Society and Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Participants can search for birds by walking on one of the many designated Great Missouri Birding Trails that wind throughout the park.
Before hitting the trails, stop by the nature center to see various taxidermy birds and song bird nests on display. Park staff will be present with identification books to assist in the learning process of how to identify unknown birds. After completing your bird count, stop back by the nature center to warm up and add your information to a group tally board. Visitors can report their findings online at birdcount.org. More information can be obtained at the official website https://gbbc.birdcount.org/ or by calling the Bennett Spring Nature Center at 417-532-3925.
Of the more than 9,000 species of birds that exist in the world, 900 live in North America, 400 have been identified in Missouri and 155 have been spotted in Bennett Spring State Park. The cold, fresh water flowing from Bennett Spring and trout population entice birds, such as herons and bald eagles, to the area. With more than 3,000 acres of bottomland, oak-hickory woodlands, and glades, the park provides excellent habitat for a multitude of bird species including wild turkey, owls, blue jay and dark-eyed junco.
The information gathered provides a snapshot of bird populations at a specific time. When data is compared from year to year, researchers can determine how bird populations are faring.
Bennett Spring State Park is at 26250 Highway 64A in Lebanon. For more information about the event, call the nature center at 417-532-3925.
For more information on Missouri State Parks and Historic Sites, visit the web at https://mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.