U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for February 23

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23: FIRST STATE BIRD SANCTUARY

Profile America — Thursday, February 23rd.  There are many bird-feeding and bird-watching events this month.  One of them is the annual Great Backyard Bird Count — in which ordinary Americans note the kinds and quantity of birds in their immediate area, helping scientists track the health of the bird population.  With the foliage off the trees, many will be looking at and photographing birds with cameras and binoculars.  It was this month in 1872 that the first state bird sanctuary was established at Oakland, California's Lake Merritt.  It was named for the mayor, who started the efforts to preserve the lake.  In the U.S. today, nearly 14 million people enjoy bird watching, and 55.5 million feed the birds and other wildlife in their area.  You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.

Sources:  Kane's Famous First Facts, 3743
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2012, t. 1240, 1256

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button). 

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau