The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) returns for it’s 17th year, today (February 14) through Feb.17, 2014. As a rule, I do not put out bird feeders. I am more inclined to grow plants that support birds and other wildlife. However, our harsh Winter, not to mention the latest snow accumulation, got me to reconsider my position. If only briefly
If you are new to wildlife gardening, the GBBC is a wonderful opportunity for parents and children, and really folks of all ages, to be Citizen Scientists. What is a Citizen Scientist? Depending on the project, it might have a different meaning. But I consider the definition from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as my Gold Standard:
Citizen science is a way for you to learn about birds, science, and conservation by participating in real scientific studies. As a partnership between the public and professional scientists, we make up one of the world's largest research teams!
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Given that definition, I am happy to oblige ! And I have, with a variety of projects. There are many, many opportunities to collaborate for nature. Once you get the bug, you will want to do more; perhaps even studying bugs. I have done so for Fireflies, and got a great deal of information about them, as well as the feeling I was doing something for nature.
The Great Backyard Bird Count is a joint effort of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the National Audubon Society and Bird Studies Canada. Here is the entry portal: http://gbbc.birdcount.org/.
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You register for a free ID, commit to watching for and identifying birds for 15 minutes, (you can do it on multiple days), and then submit your findings. It is very simple, but the data collected gives scientists a wealth of information. Here are the easy I,2,3 steps: http://gbbc.birdcount.org/get-started/. If you are a mobile user, there is information on that link about a new app for reporting information. (Also below)
If you don’t feel you know your birds well enough, then you can return to the GBBC website for help. One way to hone your identification skills is to download the handy checklist:http://gbbc.birdsource.org/gbbcApps/checklist. It is sorted by Month and Location, so it is an informal guilde to what you can expect to see in your yard. If you keep your computer or mobile device nearby, you will find that most of the birds listed are connected to clickable links.
Here is the 311 I would get for a Dark-eyed Junco (a bird I know frequents my yard)
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis ORDER: PASSERIFORMES FAMILY: EMBERIZIDAE
IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern
- Go to:
- Dark-eyed Junco
© Christopher L. Wood
Dark-eyed Juncos are neat, even flashy little sparrows that flit about forest floors of the western mountains and Canada, then flood the rest of North America for winter. They’re easy to recognize by their crisp (though extremely variable) markings and the bright white tail feathers they habitually flash in flight. One of the most abundant forest birds of North America, you’ll see juncos on woodland walks as well as in flocks at your feeders or on the ground beneath them.
See? Lot's of information. First, I did not know they were in the Sparrow family!
New to the upgraded GBBC website this year are these other features:
Explore a Location. In the past, GBBC participants enjoyed friendly competitions between towns to see who could submit the most checklists or tally the most birds. Because we no longer collect data by zip/postal code and the existing mapping technology does not include town boundaries, we can’t display data by towns. However, with our new features under Explore Data, you’ll be able to see which species are being reported in your county, state/province, or country.
Plan a Trip. Find locations with the most checklists and species. Use this tool to help you find the best places to go birding—not only during the GBBC, but any time of year!
Photo Gallery. By popular demand, we’ll be showcasing photos right on the home page as participants from around the world send in their best shots for the GBBC photo contest. New streamlined photo tools make it easier than ever for you to view and participate.
GBBC Toolkit. Look for the GBBC Toolkit in the right column. We’ve provided how-tos in text and video form, tricky bird ID help, bird lists, buttons for your website, and more resources to enhance your knowledge about the count and why we do it. Be sure to sign up for the GBBC enewsletter to keep in touch with news and results from the count!
Birding Apps. Download the free GBBC BirdLog app to submit your observations on iOS or Android devices during the count. Try the free Merlin Bird ID app for iOS devices to help you identify the birds you see!
If you’d like a more detailed run-through about the Great Backyard Bird Count, how it works, and why it’s important, please watch our 8-minute instructional video.
Surely you noticed there is a concurrent photo contest ? I hope to finally master the inexpensive digital binocular camera I have, if I can find it! Here is a gallery of some winning 2013 photos, on the GBBC’s partner site, the Audobon Society:http://birds.audubon.org/gbbcgallery
If you enjoyed doing this over the weekend, you might want to consider joining Project Feederwatch, information found here:http://feederwatch.org/ I did it for a few years, but then the hawks started “taking out” from my feeder flocks, so I stopped.
You can also garden for birds year-round, following some of the simple guidelines from Wild Ones. After all, these birds survived long before we arrived and began tinkering with their habitat. I am still reading “Gardening for Birds.” but the essentials are succinctly summed up here:
http://www.wildones.org/learn/native-plants-and-landscaping/creating-a-bird-friendly-yard
Happy Valentine’s Day to all. I hope you enjoy the Great Backyard Bird Count, and that it inspires you to dig further for Nature.
If you do participate, and feel like leaving I comment, I am always happy to hear from my readers.
Also, If you do the Count, don’t forget to download and frame your certificate. You will want proof that you are now a Citizen Scientist !
