A number of state parks are having a friendly competition to see where visitors spot the most species of birds.

Tuscarora and Locust Lake state parks in Barnesville are among the 18 participating in the Spring Migration Round-Up contest, which runs Saturday to May 15.

Park naturalist Robin Tracey believes participants will be able to tally quite a few species at the parks.

“We just had a bird walk at Locust Lake State Park and a lot of birds were spotted,” Tracey said.

Through the contest, individuals are asked to visit parks and log the birds that they see. They can go “birding” as many times as they like during the period.

When they are done, they are asked to submit their list through eBird or paper checklists available at park offices. EBird is an online database of bird observations that provides scientists, researchers and birders with information about distribution and abundance.

Participants are invited to log any species they see; they don’t have to be migratory.

“There have been a bunch of warblers coming through lately,” Tracey said. “The Baltimore orioles are also coming back.”

At Locust Lake, she said recent sightings include two adult bald eagles.

“And about a week ago there was an adult osprey flying around over the lake,” Tracey said.

Birding is one of the popular activities enjoyed at the park, and Tracey noted that bird walks are held frequently by expert birders Dave Kruel and Thomas Buehl Jr.

“They are magnificent,” Tracey said of the two. “You can be having a conversation with them, and you can see that they are also listening to a bird singing in the distance. They can identify birds by their sounds.”

Buehl Jr.’s next walk will be held at 8 a.m. May 14 at Locust Lake. It will begin in the visitors’ parking lot.

He will offer information on how to identify local and migratory songbirds by sight, song, habitat and behavior. Those attending are encouraged to bring along binoculars.

Registration for the walk is required by calling Tracey at 570-467-2506. Space is limited.

No registration is necessary for the Spring Migration Round-Up contest. Other participating parks include Bald Eagle, Black Moshannon, Canoe Creek, Codorus, French Creek, Lackawanna, Little Buffalo, Little Pine, Marsh Creek, Mount Pisgah, Nescopeck, Poe Valley Prince Gallitzin, Ricketts Glen, Sinnemahoning, Tuscarora and Yellow Creek.

“Our state parks and forests are great resources for visitors to recreate and connect with nature. They are also great places to learn more about wildlife, plants, trees, water and so much more about the environment,” said Department of Conservation and Natural Resources spokesman Wesley Robinson.

A calendar of events for all state parks can be found at https://events.dcnr.pa.gov.