The International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD),  is a nation wide event held the second Saturday in May each year.   It is similar to the Christmas Bird Count, which many Timberdoodle readers have participated in, but the rules have a few twists. The area for any one count is not a 15-mile diameter circle, but an entire county.

      The big twist is the

timing: unlike Christmas Bird Counts, which are spread over several weeks, this count is done on just a single day.

      The second Saturday in May was chosen to try and find the peaks of movement of neotropical species while they are still where most of the birders are. The rationale for having the count is based its benefits.

      Water fowlers have benefited from the extensive studies of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in their role for managing the Nation's game species resource. Hawk and songbird watchers may think of migration as rivers and space themselves on ridges and

prominent peninsulas. All of these have led to efforts to preserve and protect critical habitat for migration. 

      Establishing IMBD gives each and every birdwatcher the opportunity to enjoy a day's birding during Spring Migration with the knowledge that the result of their findings, together with the birds counted by others, would fit together like the pieces of a puzzle and reveal the status of bird  migration on a specified date.

      If you would like more information or are interested in joining other birders for the census, contact Julie Lundsted the IMBD coordinator for Cole County, at 573-635-2976.
Text Box: Membership Coupon Name ______________________________________________ Address ____________________________________________ City_______________________ State__________ Zip _____ Chapter Identification Number: NO9 7XCH Members of the National Audubon Society who live in Callaway, Cole, Maries and Moniteau Counties are automatically members of the River Bluffs Audubon Society. Members receive Audubon magazine and the chapter newsletter. For a first-time membership, mail this form with a $20 check (payable to the National Audubon Society) to: Cecilia Campbell, 201B South Woods Court, Ashland, MO 65010. For repeat memberships, send a check for $35. Your name will be placed on our local mailing list, then your payment and Text Box: International Migratory Bird Day Set for May 12 Text Box: Join Us Saturday, May 5th For Binder Park Litter Pick-up Meet By Bait Shack At 9 a.m.