English
English, 01.04.2020 20:44, rodneisha1313

A Big Year
By Bob Kowalski

Would you go to the ends of the earth to see a bird? What if it were a really special bird: one with beautiful feathers, an entrancing call, or a silly dance? What if seeing that one special bird would allow you to win a contest?

If that contest doesn't get you on television or win you any cash prizes, would you still do it? For those who participate in the "Big Year," the honor of beating the previous record is the only reward they get or even want.

A "Big Year" is a year in which a person attempts to see as many different species of birds as possible within a particular region. For most in North America who participate in a "Big Year," this region is the lower 48 American states, plus Alaska, Canada, and a couple of French islands off the Canadian coast.

You may be thinking that looking at birds is silly, but just think about the numbers of the recent record holders and the commitment it takes to get these numbers. One recent "Big Year" winner managed to see 744 birds in one year, missing the record by just one bird. Big Year birders travel by train, plane, boat, car, bicycle, and of course, by foot. They can cover over 150 thousand miles to get numbers of sightings this high. They can also spend a small fortune.

Just to clarify, the birds these contestants are counting are the number that they see in a particular year. You see, the contest is based on an honor system. No pictures or other evidence is required as proof of a sighting. Most birders take great pride in their reputation and their abilities to see or hear and then identify a bird. Usually, important sightings of the rare birds needed to get counts in the 700s are visited by hundreds of birders. It is pretty hard to cheat your way to a record-breaking year, but in general, few are interested in cheating.

This honesty comes from the fact that most people who want to break such a record know the greatest rewards are not necessarily in winning. Such rewards are in being able to commit a year of your life to doing something you love. Rewards are found in seeing amazing, inspiring creatures like the California Condor or the Magnificent Frigate bird. Rewards also come in spending time with people who, like you, want to spend their time looking to the skies and trees for glimpses of emerald, crimson, or cerulean blue feathered jewels.

You don't have to be able to travel a continent to have a big birding experience though. Have a big month. Or a big weekend. Set a personal record, learn to identify the species that live in your part of the world, or try to learn the calls of just two species of birds. You will soon find looking at birds isn't such a strange way to spend your time.

Extra! Extra! Backyard Birding
Many schools, families, and young birders across the country participate in the "Great Backyard Bird Count." While not as long as a "Big Year," the "Great Backyard Bird Count" happens every year. It depends on birders and families across the country to watch feeders and other areas in their yards and count the number of birds they see. Unlike the "Big Year," the goal is not to see who can count the most birds. Instead, participants in this event work together to help bird experts get a good idea of how birds are doing. Participants are given checklists and enter their sightings on a website. Called a "citizen-science" project, this event is open to anyone, requires no travel, and happens every year over one weekend in February.
What is the main idea of the Extra! Extra! section?(5 points)
Select one:
a. The Backyard Bird Count offers helpful checklists.
b. The Backyard Bird Count creates more friendly competitions.
c. The Backyard Bird Count benefits birds and scientists.
d. The Backyard Bird Count is for everyone, not just competitors.

answer
Answers: 3

Other questions on the subject: English

image
English, 21.06.2019 13:30, billycain9647
If price and worth mean the same thing, why priceless and worthless are opposites?
Answers: 1
image
English, 21.06.2019 22:30, hannah9892
Read the excerpt from “to one in paradise,” by edgar allan poe. thou wast all that to me, love . . a fountain and a shrine, all wreathed with fairy fruits and flowers, and all the flowers were mine. how does poe use a sound device in the excerpt? he uses assonance to connect the images of architecture. he uses alliteration to draw attention to the images of his love. he uses cacophony to create a discordant sound of loss. he uses internal rhyme to enhance the rhythm of his lyrical poem.
Answers: 2
image
English, 22.06.2019 02:50, jetblackcap
How can an author reveal move information about a character
Answers: 1
image
English, 22.06.2019 06:20, greend0719
Create an accurate summary of the “goodbye” scene between marylin and her brother in “the cold equations”
Answers: 1
Do you know the correct answer?
A Big Year
By Bob Kowalski

Would you go to the ends of the earth to see a bird? Wh...

Questions in other subjects:

Konu
Mathematics, 05.05.2021 18:10
Konu
Social Studies, 05.05.2021 18:10