Making an eBird checklist before taking children out on a bird count is a good idea for a couple of reasons. First, you can give the checklist out ahead of time so the kids (and you) can become familiar with the species you’ll potentially see. It also makes recording observations much easier if kids don’t have to figure out how to spell the birds’ names.
To make a checklist of the birds you may see in your local area, whether it’s your home, a local park, or schoolyard, follow these easy steps.
Because you can find different birds at various times of the year in your local habitat, it is important not to begin this process any earlier than a week or so ahead of the date you plan to use the checklist.
1. Go to ebird.org
2. Click on Explore Data. 
3. Click on Explore a Region. 
4. Enter the name of your COUNTY.
As you begin to type, a drop-down menu will appear. Select your county and state from the list and click on it. We are using Tompkins County where the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is located as our example.
5. You will now see an overview of all species reported as having been seen in your county starting with the most recent sightings.
If you live in a county with a number of distinct habitats (lakes, wetlands, forests, open grasslands), choose the birds from the overview list that are found in the area you will be birding. For example, as you can see above, the first 11 species listed for Tompkins County on March 2, 2015 are all waterfowl. If you are at a school in the southeast part of Tompkins County where there are no lakes, it is not likely you would see waterfowl in your schoolyard.
To determine where the species was sighted in the county, click on the date the species was seen.
This brings you to the specific checklist that reported the species and shows the location of the checklist. If you aren’t familiar with the location, you can then click on the word Map to see where in the county (and in what habitat) the species was observed. You can also look up species in a field guide to determine in which habitat you are likely to see the bird.
6. Once you have determined the species you want to include on your checklist, you can download our Bird Count Tally Sheet and cut and paste those species into the checklist to print for your students.
7. Now, go outside and look for birds!
Going Further
Here are some additional resources to help you when you’re outside with your students so you and your kids can take your birding to the next level.
Using eBird with Students
Field Trip, No Bus Required
Outdoor Teaching Tips
All About Birds, the Lab of Ornithology’s online bird guide
Inside Birding video series on basic bird identification