Northern Cardinal Submitted photo

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife seeks citizens’ help with bird sightings.

Any bird observed in Maine through Wednesday, March 15, will help the department complete the five-year Maine Bird Atlas project. According to a news release from the Augusta-based department, 191 birds call Maine home in the winter.

Those who see a bird don’t need to be a birding expert to provide valuable observations to this citizen science project. Every bird sighting helps, even the birds in a backyard or at a feeder.

Step 1: Go outside or watch for birds in yard from the comfort of home.

Step 2: Take note of:
• What species seen;
• When (day and estimate of time);
• Where it was seen; and
• How many individuals of a species seen at any one time.

Step 3: Create an account online at ebird.org/me

Step 4: Log into that account and click “Submit.” Follow the prompts to enter observations.

The department notes that it appreciates shared sightings and participation in this project to help guide Maine’s future bird conservation efforts.

For more information, visit maine.gov.

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