The American Birding Association (ABA) named Chris Henry, 14, of San Jose a Young Birder of the Year for 2024. Henry is seen here at Guadalupe Oak Grove Park in San Jose in a video he produced for his “Birding with Chris” YouTube channel documenting his “big year—a personal challenge to see as many species of birds as possible within a single calendar year and a single geographic area.” By Jan. 7, Henry had seen 95 bird species at various locations in Santa Clara County. (Courtesy photo)
The American Birding Association (ABA) named Chris Henry, 14, of San Jose a Young Birder of the Year for 2024.
The ABA’s Young Birder of the Year program is part of a broader suite of initiatives for preteens and teens with an interest in wild birds and their habitats. To qualify for the award, Henry participated in the ABA’s Young Birder of the Year Mentoring Program. Mentors especially praised him for his “informative, professional and highly entertaining YouTube videos about birding.”
“It’s really cool to hear the things that my birding peers are doing and to learn from mentors who are further along in their birding journeys,” Henry said of the program.
Henry’s YouTube channel can be found at “Birding with Chris.”
Participation in the Young Birder of the Year Mentoring Program is open to anyone age 10-18 with an interest in birding. For more information, visit aba.org/aba-youngbirders
Originally published at Anne Gelhaus