Counting on Birds: Tales of Migration

More than a century ago, ornithologist Frank Chapman redirected a Christmas-time tradition of revelers shooting birds to a new holiday recreation: counting birds instead. Now join the annual bird count, the longest-running wildlife census in the world.

Why are people so devoted to birds? Meet a variety of bird enthusiasts, including a 16-year-old artist whose work features birds, a birdsong expert, children in Nicaragua and Washington D.C. who are part of a migratory bird education and conservation program, and many others, all of whom share a passion for birds in their infinite variety.

The population of many migratory songbirds is on the decline, but many dedicated people are trying to save them, including researchers who employ creative means to assess the health of bird populations, and school children in Vermont who are trying to help re-forest the mountains of Costa Rica, and Costa Rican coffee farmers practicing bird-friendly methods of cultivation and processing.

Every year, broad-winged hawks embark on a 4,500-mile journey from New Hampshire to South America. Trace the incredible migratory route of these magnificent birds and see the connections they make with people throughout their ambitious journey.

Journey to the North American fields and meadows that are home to grassland birds. Host Willem Lange talks to those in the United States, Canada, and Mexico who are concerned about the birds' decline, and are trying to reverse this trend.