This annual survey consists of various parties driving roads in the southwestern part of the state counting the various raptors they detect. There are always routes available so if anyone is interested in participating, call Roland Shook – 388.3441 for a route assignment. tyranidae@hotmail.com

For assigned territories contact Karen Beckenbach at 388.2386 or kbeck@signalpeak.net or Rinda Metz at 534.0160 or rindametz@wildblue.net

The first Saturday of May is the traditional date for the Gila River Bird Count. Groups or individuals are assigned routes to cover along the Gila River from the Arizona border up to the Gila Cliff Dwellings. If you are interested in participating, call Roland Shook at 575-388-3441 so he can assign a route to you or your party, or email tyranidae@hotmail.com.

This annual Migration Count is a single day event. It is similar to a Christmas Bird Count, but covers all of Grant County. This requires many birders to cover the large area. All birders are welcome to take part. There is also a need for drivers and recorders.

The GBBC is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where birds are across the U.S. and Canada. Visit the official website at www.birdcount.org for more information. Each checklist submitted by these citizen scientists helps researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society learn more about how birds are doing – and how to protect them and the environment we share. Last year, participants turned in more than 92,000 checklists online, creating the continent's largest instantaneous snapshot of bird populations ever recorded. Taking part in the Great Backyard Bird Count is a great way to get outside with family and friends, have fun, and help birds—all at the same time. Anyone who can identify even a few species, from novice bird watchers to experts can provide important information that enables scientists to learn more about how the environment is changing and how that affects our conservation priorities. Participants count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the event and report their sightings online at www.birdcount.org. www.birdcount.org. Observers count the highest number of each species they see during at least 15 minutes on one or more of the count days. The website provides helpful hints for identifying birds. Participants can compare results from their town or region with others as checklists pour in from throughout the U.S. and Canada. They can also view bird photos taken by participants during the count and send in their own digital images for the online photo gallery and contest. Each tally helps us learn more about how our North American birds are doing and the future of our environment.