NORTH CHESTERFIELD, VA. – A highly accomplished group of young birders is gathering at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology this weekend for the seventh annual Young Birders Event, hosted by the Lab and co-sponsored by Carl Zeiss Sports Optics.

Their agenda is packed with opportunities to go birding—but they will also spend time inside, learning about bird-centered careers from professional ornithologists and students at the Cornell Lab. They will try their hand at recording birds in the field with professional sound and video equipment and learn from experts about Neotropical birds, taxonomy, the night-flight calls of migrants, and the art of field notes and sketches.

Admission to the Young Birders program is competitive and enrollment is limited to 16 students each year. This year's participants expressed a common theme: their desire for contact with others their own age that are as passionate about birds as they are.

They've also put their passion into action. Many are already licensed bird-banders, leaders of bird tours, or have set up birding clubs for young people in their area. All are dedicated eBirders, submitting observations to the online checklist program, sometimes on a daily basis. They run birding blogs, write for birding newsletters, and take their own pictures of birds.

They have big dreams such as becoming field researchers, being involved in wildlife conservation, or teaching. All are fascinated by bird diversity, flight, and sound. And they have favorites: gulls, owls, warblers. As diverse as the birds they love, they are united in their profound attachment to birds and nature.

As a "Thank You" for participating, each young birder will be provided with a TERRA ED 8x42 binocular, courtesy of ZEISS.

If you know of a promising young birder in grades 9 through 12, tell them about the Young Birder's Event and have them contact Jessie Barry at jb794@cornell.edu to find out more about the 2016 session.


For more information on Carl Zeiss Sports Optics products please visit us at www.zeiss.com/nature or join us at facebook.com/ZEISSbirding