It’s that time of year again! The 23rd Annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is this weekend, Friday, February 14, through Monday, February 19, 2020.
During this weekend, volunteers from around the world count the birds they see for at least 15 minutes, on one or more days of the count and then enter their checklists at birdcount.org. It can be as simple as looking out your window, or going out to your favorite birding spot and report on what you see.
White-breasted nuthatch at my new Squirrel Buster Peanut + feeder from Brome. Filled with shelled peanuts it’s a great feeder for attracting nuthatches and woodpeckers.
Why does this matter?
There was a recent study in the journal Science last fall that described the decline in the overall number of North American birds by 29% since 1970. Birds also face a number of issues that certainly could affect their future numbers. Citizen science projects like the GBBC give scientists at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society valuable information on where the birds are, how their numbers might be changing overall or regionally, and how they may be adjusting to new habitats. You can learn more about the GBBC at https://gbbc.birdcount.org.
Wondering what the #1 reported bird is in the U.S.?
Most years it’s been the Northern Cardinal, a favorite at my feeders. I have this Squirrel Buster Standard Squirrel-proof Bird Feeder from Brome with perches perfect for cardinals right outside the kitchen window. I fill it with striped sunflower seeds which have a thicker shell than black-oiled sunflower seeds. House sparrows and house finches can’t really eat them, but are just fine for the cardinals. Makes dishwashing much more entertaining watching these beautiful birds.
What did I report this morning in my 15 min of watching my feeders in the backyard?
- 1 Northern Cardinal (female)
- 1 White-breasted nuthatch
- 3 Black-capped chickadees
- 2 Juncoes
- 6 House sparrows
- 4 House finches
- 1 Downy woodpecker
- 1 squirrel – no, I didn’t really report it, but it was there eating the crumbs off the ground so I’ll count it.
Too bad there wasn’t anything unusual today, but happy to have anything in addition to the ever present and obnoxious house sparrows and house finches.
Need help identifying what you see? Check out these mobile apps, these online resources, or order my favorite bird book for beginner to intermediate birders, Birds of North America: A Guide to Field Identification.
Interested in what everyone else is seeing? On the GBBC website you can explore real-time maps and charts that show what others are reporting. Be sure to check out the Explore a Region tool to see what everyone else is seeing in your area. Want to have your own checklist specific to your area? Check this tool out.
I did my part!
You can get your own certificate, just follow this link.
Want to help count birds all year round? You can keep counting throughout the year with eBird, which uses the same system as the Great Backyard Bird Count to collect, store, and display data any time, all the time. I love this tool to see what birds others are seeing (and where) when I’m out and about.
Happy Birding! Hope you see something interesting, but even if you don’t, know you’ve made a difference for science. Let me know what you saw this weekend!
BTW, these Brome feeders really do keep out the squirrels! This guy tried a few times and has since given up.
