RANGELEY — Everyone in the region is invited to take part in the upcoming 13th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count. The bird count will take place in communities across the United States from Feb. 12 to 15. To take part in the count, all you need to do is to record the numbers and types of birds that you recognize in your backyard, schoolyard, around town or out in the woods on each of those four days.

Last year, for the second year in a row, the Rangeley region placed first in the state in terms of its level of participation in the GBBC. With 242 communities in Maine participating in the count, Rangeley’s participation level was the highest state-wide in terms of the number of checklists submitted.

The top three communities in the state in 2009 were Rangeley (54), Blue Hill (40) and Bangor (31). Rangeley birders also broke their previous record in terms of the total number of birds identified during the four day count. In 2009 1,828 birds were spotted compared to 1,599 in 2008 and just 983 in 2007. Species diversity remained consistent with 28 species identified in both 2009 and 2008, and 27 species spotted in 2007.

This year the Rangeley Lakes Birding Association expects an even higher number of participants. The hope is that growing community involvement in this event will help to raise the level of interest and expertise in birding in our area. A longer term goal is to bolster eco-tourism in the region by raising our profile as an attractive birding destination.

Who sponsors this? A joint project of the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the GBBC is an easy and exciting way for both beginners and advanced birders to track their local bird populations. Both children and adults are encouraged to take part.

Why is the GBBC important? In addition to being a lot of fun, the GBBC is important because it helps scientists to monitor trends in the distribution and abundance of bird populations. Are certain species moving further north due to climate change? Are certain birds becoming endangered while others stage a comeback? Is species diversity increasing or decreasing?

How can you take part? Spend as much or as little time as you like counting the birds that you recognize over these four days. After at least 15 minutes of observation in one place, write down the highest number of birds of any one type that you saw at one time -—that way you avoid counting any bird twice. For example, if you see four chickadees at one time at 8 a.m. and eight chickadees at one time at 5 p.m., you would report a total of eight chickadees for that day. The next day you start all over again. If you can only report one day, that is fine. If you can count all four days, that is even better. You can easily enter your information into the national database at www.birdcount.org using your home, school or library computer. Some people submit all of their reports at the end of the count. Most people find it easier to enter the information daily. Everyone submitting reports for the Rangeley area (including Oquossoc and the plantations) should use the 04970 zip code when entering their data.

Those who participated in last year’s GBBC found it to be great fun. Visit the Web site each day to compare your results with others across the state and across the country. You can also submit photos for the photo contest.

For more information on how to take part (including a checklist of local birds and tips for species identification), visit www.birdcount.org.

Cathryn L. Thorup is the Founder of the Rangeley

Lakes Birding Association.