Point Reyes bird count lands Saturday

Children between 3 and 18 will participate in the National Audubon Society’s annual Christmas bird count at the Point Reyes National Seashore Saturday.

Youth ages 3 to 6 will join the Budding Birders group and participate in a discovery walk, and those ages 7 to 18 in the Young Birders group will conduct the actual bird count, Point Reyes National Seashore spokesman John Dell’Osso said.

Registration is at 10 a.m. at the Clem Miller Environmental Education Center off Limantour Road. The bird count will take a lunch break and tabulate the numbers before 2 p.m.

The annual Christmas bird count is the longest running wildlife census to assess the health of the bird population. The event typically does not include young children, but the Budding Birders group’s effort will serve to train future generations in the important basic elements of the national endeavor, Dell’Osso said.

The Point Reyes National Seashore has some of the highest bird diversity and numbers of any national park with sightings of nearly 490 species equivalent to 54 percent of all North American bird species, Dell’Osso said.

All children at the event will get a Bird booklet to help them become familiar with birds and keep a tally of what he or she sees in the field. Sonoma Birding is participating in the event with the National Park Service.