The Great Backyard Bird Count is Here
The Great Backyard Bird Count takes place February 17-20 2023.
The Great Backyard Bird Count is a citizen science project where people worldwide watch birds over a four-day period in February and report what they see to create an annual snapshot of the distribution and abundance of birds. This is where you come in! To help with this project all you need to do is spend at least 15 minutes on one or more of the days of the count, (February 17-20 in 2023), and count the number and species of birds you see. It’s fun and easy and can be done from any location, for as long as you like. In the city you’ll see lots of pigeons, sparrows, and starlings, and even though these birds are common, counting them still helps scientists!
History
Originally launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, the project was the first online citizen science project collecting data on wild birds and displaying the results in near real time. [1] The popular citizen science app eBird was created in 2002 as a result of the success of this project. [2] Last year in 2022 there were over 384,000 participants, who submitted 360,000 eBird checklists, containing 7000 unique species.
Where to Watch Birds
You don’t need to travel to observe birds, look for birds right in your neighborhood. You can count birds from your window, your balcony, porch, or backyard. Walk around your neighborhood to local parks, or find a patio and enjoy a snack while you watch. Birds you’re likely to see in the city are sparrows, pigeons, and starlings. Even though you may see these birds every day these observations are still important to science!
How You Can Participate
Decide where and when you will do your count and write it down.
Download the citizen science apps Merlin (for Bird ID) and eBird (for submitting your checklist). [3] You can also complete your checklist with pen and paper and submit it through the eBird webpage.
Spend at least 15 min counting birds on at least one of the days.
Keep track of the time you start and finish and the location.
Estimate the number of individuals for each species observed.
Entering just one bird is fine, any data is good data.
Create a free online account to enter your checklists. Available at eBird.org [4].
Submit your checklist right away if possible, but you will have a few days to submit after the count
Why Participate?
There are so many reasons to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Taking time to slow down and notice the natural world around us has proven to increase mental wellbeing. Studies show that an increase in biological diversity evokes happiness comparable to an increase in income. “All across Europe, the individual enjoyment of life correlates with the number of surrounding bird species. An additional 10% of bird species therefore increases the Europeans' life satisfaction as much as a comparable increase in income. Nature conservation thus constitutes an investment in human well-being”. [5] The Great Backyard Bird Count gives us the opportunity to come together as a community and appreciate the nature that exists in our own backyard.
Contribute valuable data to science. Now, more than ever, everyday people have access to scientific tools that allow them to contribute meaningful data to science. You don’t need a lab coat or a degree to help advance scientific research. In fact, your data is extremely valuable to science because it is local. Scientists can’t be everywhere at once, which is why they need you to be the eyes and ears to let them know what's happening in your neighborhood specifically. When people from all around the world work together to count birds in their neighborhood, we get a snapshot of bird distribution throughout the globe. Your data helps with the study of migration patterns, year-to-year trends, long-term trends and so much more. Volunteers directly contributed to 170 scientific publications in support of bird research (for their communities and globally) with the data they submitted in the 2022 count.
Are you a teacher?
EcoSpark can come to your school and bring citizen science projects right on your school grounds. Get your class outside for an environmental education experience! Register for EcoSpark’s School Watch program if you want to learn how to incorporate bird-related, curriculum linked citizen science projects for your students. Classes learn to take part in a range of engaging citizen science projects for their school grounds, including the Great Backyard Bird Count. Registration is now open and includes exclusive lesson plans, teacher resources, and a digital copy of our School Watch Guide featuring over a dozen citizen science projects, including the Great Backyard Bird Count.
References and Helpful Links
[2] eBird.org
[4] birdcount.org
[5] Study: Biological diversity evokes happiness
Rhiannon’s love of nature and passion for environmental justice drew them to study Environmental Conservation at Guelph University after specializing in Interactive Digital Media at University of Toronto. Rhiannon believes in inspiring youth to engage with the natural world and empowering them to protect and sustain it. As the Seasonal Environmental Educator, they facilitate nature connections using various citizen science monitoring activities to better inform EcoSpark participants about their local environments.
