New Mexico Historic Sites to support the Great Backyard Bird Count in February

February 10th, 2023

Santa Fe, NM – The Great Backyard Bird Count flies into New Mexico! February 17 to 20, New Mexico Historic Sites (NMHS) will be hosting guided bird tours and collecting tallies in Coronado Historic Site (CHS), Jemez Historic Site (JHS), and Los Luceros Historic Site (LLHS) as part of the Great Backyard Bird Count.  

“Enjoying the birds who share our New Mexico Historic Sites is a great way to see the site in a new way,” said Elisabeth Stone, regional manager for CHS and JHS. “Nothing beats the beauty of the sunrise over the Sandias and the river Coronado, or a cool morning nestled in the Jemez Valley. I’m excited to share this special time with visitors, avian and human!” 

The sites will keep their usual hours during the Bird Count. That means all three will be open Friday, February 17, Saturday, February 18, and Sunday, February 19, and only CHS will be open Monday, February 20. On these days, the sites will open at 7:00 a.m. for the Bird Count. Visitors will be able to tally their counts on paper checklists provided by the sites.  

There will also be early morning guided bird tours available at CHS and JHS for visitors interested in knowing more about the bird populations at the participating sites. While the CHS visitor center is not currently open to the public, the Site’s staff will be available to facilitate the count and the tours. And if visitors miss these guided bird tours, there are resources available on birdcount.org, like apps and websites designed to help individuals identify species and submit their findings. 

The Great Backyard Bird Count was launched in 1998 by Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society, and has evolved into a global community science effort to collect data on wild birds. Every year in February, the initiative brings together birdwatchers from across the world to observe and count birds and share their data, giving scientists a better understanding of global bird populations ahead of one of their annual migrations. 

About New Mexico Historic Sites 

New Mexico Historic Sites is a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, under the leadership of the Board of Regents for the Museum of New Mexico. Programs and exhibits are generously supported by the Museum of New Mexico Foundation and its donors. The New Mexico Historic Sites system was established in 1931 by an Act for the Preservation of the Scientific Resources of New Mexico. The eight Historic Sites include Coronado, Fort Selden, Fort Stanton, Bosque Redondo Memorial at Fort Sumner Historic Site, Jemez, Lincoln, and Los Luceros.