Kansas environmental officials are seeking volunteers to help count birds at Cheyenne Bottoms near Great Bend from Saturday through the first week of January.

The Christmas Bird Count is an annual tradition across the U.S. More than 40 such counts are held across Kansas.

The Kansas Wetlands Education Center and the Nature Conservancy are asking for help counting birds at Cheyenne Bottoms, an important migratory stopover for thousands of shorebirds and waterfowl.

More than 148 species of birds have been recorded spending their winters in the area. Volunteers are asked to help count the numbers of bird types Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Anyone interested in preregistering to help with the count should call the education center, 10 miles northeast of Great Bend.

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Associated Press Information from: The Wichita Eagle