The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four day event sponsored by Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. Birds across the continent (US and Canada) are counted annually for fours days by Citizen Scientists, from novice bird watchers to experts.
tgypsy has now posted Part Two: the West Coast Edition! Please post comments, photos, observations and counts there ... Thank you and goodnight from the East Coast!
This year's GBBC took place Friday, February 13th - Monday, February 16th.
UPDATE: Statistics will be updated as the evening goes on
Statistics from 2009
Total Checklists Submitted: 66,819
Total Species Observed: 586
Total Individual Birds Counted: 7,672,752
Updated: February 17, 2009 2:40:11 PM EST
2009 Checklists Due by March 1st
UPDATE: Need help with bird ID? Cornell has an great online bird guide here: All About Birds
(h/t to Amber6541 for the reminder)
So what's the big deal with counting birds?
From the GBBC Website: "Scientists and bird enthusiasts can learn a lot by knowing where the birds are. Bird populations are dynamic; they are constantly in flux. No single scientist or team of scientists could hope to document the complex distribution and movements of so many species in such a short time..."
Citizen Science pariticipation can help answer many questions:
How will this winter's snow and cold temperatures influence bird populations?
Where are winter finches and other "irruptive" species that appear in large numbers during some years but not others?
How will the timing of birds’ migrations compare with past years?
How are bird diseases, such as West Nile virus, affecting birds in different regions?
What kinds of differences in bird diversity are apparent in cities versus suburban, rural, and natural areas?
Are any birds undergoing worrisome declines that point to the need for conservation attention?
Scientists use the counts, along with observations from other citizen-science projects, such as the Christmas Bird Count, Project FeederWatch, and eBird, to give an immense picture of our winter birds. Each year that these data are collected makes them more meaningful and allows scientists to investigate far-reaching questions.
I started participating in the GBBC in 2001 and have only missed one year since. Back then I was a novice bird watcher and newbie nestbox "landlord". I spent most of my time going through three different guides after seeing a new bird at the feeders or in the yard (and for the record I consider myself at intermediate level now). I still have my "lists" from all my count years and they serve as my own source for comparisons.
For me, participation in the annual bird count has evolved into starting a "Life List", recording our Eastern Bluebird data for NestWatch, entering observations from one of our local parks into Celebrate Urban Birds and finally becoming a Lab member. Bird watching has also helped me become more curious about and observant of all the flora and fauna in the areas where I enjoy spending my free time.
I have to confess, this year was one of the most disappointing backyard counts for me in 6 years. There are so many regular species that have been missing from the yard this entire season I have to wonder what is going on. For the first year we didn't see Song Sparrows, House Finches, Purple Finches or American Tree Sparrows at the country home/yard.
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One question frequently asked regarding the data collection, "How is the informations from the Great Backyard Bird Count used?
From GBBC: Bird populations are constantly changing. No single scientist or team of scientists could hope to keep track of the complicated patterns of movement of so many species over an entire continent. The information from GBBC participants is even more valuable as scientists try to learn how birds are affected by environmental changes.
The information you send in can provide the first sign that individual species may be increasing or declining from year to year. It shows how a species’ range expands or shrinks over time. A big change, noted consistently over a period of years, is an indication that something is happening in the environment that is affecting the birds and that should be followed up on. GBBC information also allows us to look at what kinds of birds inhabit different areas, such as cities versus suburban.
All the information from the GBBC and other surveys goes into a massive bird database called the Avian Knowledge Network. AKN now holds 36 million records of bird observations which are used by scientists around the world.
Pine Siskin - Sunday, February 15, 2009
Now here are my personal counts from the weekend in Western NY (all photos below taken by BirderWitch on the date they are associated with):
Friday, February 13, 2009
Nothing unusual, just the same birds that come and eat seed and nuts from my apartment deck feeders. (this is a Suburban area)
Male White Breasted Nuthatch on the Peanut Feeder
Number of Species: 16
Checklist:
Cooper's Hawk - 1
Mourning Dove - 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1
Downy Woodpecker - 2
Hairy Woodpecker - 1
Northern Flicker - 1
Black-capped Chickadee - 5
Tufted Titmouse - 1
White-breasted Nuthatch - 3
European Starling - 5
American Tree Sparrow - 6
Song Sparrow - 3
Dark-eyed Junco - 4
Northern Cardinal - 2
American Goldfinch - 2
House Sparrow - 21
Mourning Dove in the late afternoon
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Saturday, February 14, 2009
The most remarkable event for the day was watching two Red Tail Hawks flying together for about 15 minutes. How appropriate to see courtship and bonding behavior on Valentine's Day :)
Pair of Red Tail Hawks on an overcast Saturday
No longer counting suburban birds - from here on out I'm counting the birds we find at my boyfriend's country home. Located in a rural area, surrounded by woods and some agricultural fields.
Northern Cardinal pair on Valentine's Day
Number of Species: 15
Checklist:
Red-tailed Hawk - 2
Mourning Dove - 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 2
Downy Woodpecker - 3
Hairy Woodpecker - 1
Blue Jay - 6
American Crow - 9
Black-capped Chickadee - 11
Tufted Titmouse - 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 2
White-breasted Nuthatch - 2
Dark-eyed Junco - 16
Northern Cardinal - 2
Pine Siskin - 11
American Goldfinch - 7
Male Downy Woodpecker
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Sunday, February 15, 2009
We've been stopping every weekend to see if the local Bald Eagles are working on their nest. Initially we were disappointed to see that no one was "home". We finally spotted one of the adults in close proximity to the nest when we traveled a road that runs parallel with the creek. (not a great photo, but see if you can find the eagle in the tree, left of the nest)
Bald Eagle Nest and Adult Nearby
It's also been an incredible season for Pine Siskins in our yard. We have had a steady flock of 20 - 25 since mid-November, but Sunday and Monday our counts doubled and then some!
Small group of Pine Siskins (and one Dark Eyed Junco) on the sock feeder
Number of Species: 16
All Reported: yes
Checklist:
Bald Eagle - 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1
Cooper's Hawk - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 2
Downy Woodpecker - 2
Hairy Woodpecker - 1
Blue Jay - 3
American Crow - 76
Black-capped Chickadee - 8
Tufted Titmouse - 3
White-breasted Nuthatch - 3
Brown Creeper - 1
Dark-eyed Junco - 14
Northern Cardinal - 3
Pine Siskin - 47
American Goldfinch - 3
Black Capped Chickadee enjoying a peanut
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Monday, February 16, 2009
The most exciting bird I was able to see is also one I was not able to get a photo of :( Finally, this morning, a female Pileated Woodpecker showed up at the large suet feeder that we fill with pure suet. Just as I turned to get my camera she flew off. I'm hoping that I will get a chance to see her again soon.
Male Red Bellied Woodpecker
Male Red Breasted Nuthatch
Number of Species: 15
Checklist:
Cooper's Hawk - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 2
Downy Woodpecker - 4
Hairy Woodpecker - 2
Pileated Woodpecker - 1
Blue Jay - 4
American Crow - 5
Black-capped Chickadee - 8
Tufted Titmouse - 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 1
White-breasted Nuthatch - 1
Dark-eyed Junco - 17
Northern Cardinal - 2
Pine Siskin - 74
American Goldfinch - 12
Blue Jay
Now please enter your GBBC counts, post your comments or observations from the weekend, and of course, share photos if you have them.