January 29, 2010
Great Backyard Bird Count
Want to help the birds? It's as easy as 1, 2, 3
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No matter what state you live in, there is a good chance you will see the white-breasted nuthatch. iStockphoto.com
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One might think this is a red-headed woodpecker, but it is really a red-bellied woodpecker. John Harrison
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Bluejays are easily recognized by their brilliant color and distinguished markings. Kathy Milani/The HSUS
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If you live on the West Coast or in the Pacific Northwest, you may see the chestnut-backed chickadee. Janine Russell/Photos by Janine
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Gila woodpeckers, found in the desert Southwest, will make nests in cacti. iStockphoto.com
Check out the 13th annual Great Backyard Bird Count! Hosted by the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the Great Backyard Bird Count is fun, free, and open to people of all ages and skill levels.
Take as little as 15 minutes to watch and count birds anywhere you choose from Friday, February 12th through Monday, February 15th. Then, log on to www.birdsource.org/gbbc/ before March 1st to submit checklists for the birds you count.
The Great Backyard Bird Count grows in popularity every year. Last year tens of thousands of participants all over North America submitted over 93,000 checklists, documenting sightings of 619 bird species!
Participating in the count is also a meaningful contribution to science. All those checklists create an annual snapshot of what kinds and how many birds are in our backyards. Using more in-depth studies, scientists can then try to verify what the counts suggest and look for reasons for any changes in number and location.
What can the numbers show?
- How snow and temperatures affect winter bird populations
- When large, unusual gatherings of certain species occur
- Where population increases or decreases are occurring
- How birds are being affected by environmental changes
- Where species are making expansions or contractions in their ranges
- How the timing of migration compares with past years
- What impact bird diseases are having on species in each region
Want to participate?
Visit www.birdsource.org/gbbc/ for instructions and a species checklist for your area. For bird identification tips, sound, and video, visit www.allaboutbirds.org. Your bird count lists may help show a sudden growth in the population of northern owls, crossbills, redpolls, or grosbeaks, or the range expansion of red-bellied woodpeckers. Whatever birds you see, you’ll be glad you watched!
Create a Sanctuary
Enjoy the company of birds and other wild neighbors in your backyard. Every day, more and more bird and wildlife habitat is lost to the spread of development. But you can help all wild animals in urban and suburban areas by offering them sanctuary in your own backyard (or front yard, roof-top garden, or deck), no matter how small. Learn how your green space can become an Urban Wildlife Sanctuary.