Georgia’s First Youth Birding Competition’s registration deadline for team participation is fast approaching on Friday, March 31, 2006 announces the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (DNR/WRD). This one-day competition will take place on Sunday, April 23, 2006, finishing at WRD’s Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center with a banquet, live birds of prey program and awards ceremony for all participants.

The Youth Birding Competition is open to teams ranging in age from elementary to high school where participants compete against other teams their age to find and identify as many birds as they can across the state in one day. The competition will begin at 12 a.m. and end at 6 p.m. on Sunday, April 23, 2006. Participating teams may use as much or as little of that time to count as many birds as possible throughout Georgia. Although teams may start birding anywhere in the state, they must arrive at the “finish-line” at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center in Mansfield, Ga. by 6 p.m. on Sunday.

“Teams from Ringgold, Georgia to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina have already registered for this exciting event,” said contest coordinator Tim Keyes. “If you know any young people interested in learning about Georgia’s wildlife, please consider starting a team. It will be a great opportunity to share with them our state’s diversity of birds and other wildlife.”

The contest organizers will pair pre-registered teams with experienced birding mentors to help the participants learn the birds of Georgia. All registered teams are invited to a training day at the Newman Wetlands Center in Clayton County on Saturday, April 8, 2006. This training event will focus on bird identification and strategies for finding as many birds as possible. The registration deadline for youth team participation is Friday, March 31, 2006 and is free to all participants.

For more information on Georgia’s first Youth Birding Competition and how you can register a youth team, contact Tim Keyes at (478) 994-1438 or Tim_Keyes@dnr.state.ga.us, or visit WRD’s website at www.georgiawildlife.com, and click “Nongame Animals & Plants.”

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