Get your binoculars and notepads ready: the annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), organized by the National Audubon Society (with Bird Studies Canada as the Canadian partner) is happening this weekend! The GBBC encourages bird-lovers to become citizen scientists by counting birds in their communities between February 12-15. Anyone interested in the natural environment should consider contributing by taking a few hours to count and identify bird species.
Don’t worry – you needn’t be an expert birder to take part. Anyone can participate, as long as you have a keen eye, a notebook, and a bit of spare time. You can choose to count in one or multiple locations, either on one day or across the four days of the count. Not only will you contribute valuable information to a real-time database but you’ll likely learn a few new facts about birds, their habitat, and migration patterns, and maybe even identify a rare species in your community!
From Bird Studies Canada:
“It’s as simple as counting the birds at a location near you, estimating how many birds you saw of each species, and filling out an online checklist on the Great Backyard Bird Count website. As the count progresses, you can visit the GBBC website to view results and share photographs. You can also enter the photo contest, win prizes, and share your experiences on the Facebook and Twitter social networks.”
Ready to count? Simply visit the official website, register, and get outside with the birds! If you need some tips and resources before you get counting, the Audubon Society has some simple instructions to getting started. If you’re not sure your bird species identification skills are up to snuff, there are two free online guides which have all the basic information you’ll need to participate. Feeling more hi-tech? There are even apps that can help you identify birds on the spot.
Then, check out the GBBC bird species map, which will be updated as this year’s count progresses. For a snapshot of bird species here in Ontario, see the list of 137 species counted during last year’s GBBC. Not surprisingly, the humble Canada goose tops the list, but there are lots of other, rarer species, from the adorable Northern Saw-whet Owl to the elegant Gyrfalcon.
Initiatives like the Great Backyard Bird Count is an opportune way to get students observing, discussing, and collecting data from the natural environment, while contributing to valuable species documentation, which is crucial to conservation efforts. Your school can start small by organizing a 15-minute bird count on your school grounds or a nearby park – and keen students can build on their learning by doing their own counts(s) in their neighbourhood on the weekend.
Further resources:
- If you’d like to participate in other citizen science initiatives around birding, here are six programs in Ontario.
- If you’d like to take your birdwatching further afield, consider organizing a field trip to a provincial park – some of which offer birding hikes as part of their natural heritage education programs.
- Get inspired with last year’s Photo Contest winners! There are some stunning bird shots in there.
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