Bird-watchers of all ages needed for Great Backyard Bird Count Feb. 12-15
Join Cosley Zoo staff, volunteers and Junior Zookeepers in participating in the 24th annual Great Backyard Bird Count on Friday, Feb. 12 through Monday, Feb. 15.
The annual event provides scientists with valuable information about bird populations.
Just watch birds for a minimum of 15 minutes from any location and submit your data.
The Great Backyard Bird Count is a free, fun, and easy event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of bird populations.
Participants are asked to count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the four-day event and report their sightings online at birdcount.org.
Anyone can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count, from beginning bird watchers to experts, and you can participate from your backyard, or anywhere in the world.
Each checklist submitted during the Great Backyard Bird Count helps researchers at the National Audubon Society, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and Birds Canada learn more about how birds are doing, and how to protect them and the environment we share.
Recently, more than 160,000 participants submitted their bird observations online, creating the largest instantaneous snapshot of global bird populations ever recorded.
In 2020, the event broke more records and attracted more participants than ever before. More than 6,942 species were counted, up from 6,699 the year before.
Last year, the northern cardinal topped the list of most frequently reported birds again, followed by the dark-eyed junco, mourning dove, downy woodpecker, blue jay, house sparrow, house finch, American crow, black-capped chickadee and red-bellied woodpecker.
Visit the official website at birdcount.org for more information and be sure to check out the latest educational and promotional resources.
"This count is so fun because anyone can take part - whether you are an expert, novice, or feeder watcher. I enjoy discovering the birds that occur in my own backyard and on my block and then comparing with others. Get involved and see how your favorite spot stacks up," said Chad Wilsey, vice president and Chief Scientist of Audubon, in a news release.
Bird populations are always shifting and changing. For example, 2014 event data highlighted a large irruption of snowy owls across the northeastern, mid-Atlantic, and Great Lakes areas of the United States. The data also showed the effects that warm weather patterns have had on bird movement around the country.
For more on the results of the latest Great Backyard Bird Count, take a look at the GBBC Summaries.
On the program website. participants can explore real-time maps and charts that show what others are reporting during and after the count.
Be sure to check out the "Explore a Region" tool to get an idea of what you can expect to see in your area during the next Great Backyard Bird Count.