If you've thought about doing the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) but felt you were too much of a beginning bird person, think again! Here's how easy it can be to count the birds at your feeders.
GETTING STARTED
- Jot down these things when you start (you'll be asked this when you submit your counts online):
- Date and Time
- Depth of snow in your yard
- Weather conditions: Poor, Fair, Good, or Excellent
- Take note of the habitat around you (deciduous woods, coniferous woods, scrub, grassland, agricultural, rural, suburban, urban, freshwater, salt water).
- Now, pour yourself a cup of Bird-friendly coffee and sit down in your favorite spot to watch the birds.
HOW TO COUNT
You can count for as short as 15 minutes, or you can count all day long. You can count looking out your window. Or you can count outside in a park, cemetery, or trail. You'll count birds at your feeders, in the trees and bushes, on the ground, and in the air.
Here's how:
Each time you see a bird species, count how many you see. The next time you see that species, count them again. You'll report the HIGHEST NUMBER you saw at any one time for each bird species you report.
Example:
The first time you look out at your yard, you see 1 Blue Jay on a feeder and one on a tree; 1 Hairy Woodpecker on a feeder; 2 Black-capped Chickadees on a feeder and 1 in a bush; 6 Dark-eyed Juncos on the ground.
You record:
Blue Jay 2
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Black-capped Chickadee 3
Dark-eyed Junco 6
A couple minutes later, you see 1 Downy Woodpecker on a feeder.
Now your list looks like this:
Blue Jay 2
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Black-capped Chickadee 3
Dark-eyed Junco 6
Downy Woodpecker 1
Five minutes later, you see 3 Blue Jays, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 5 Black-capped Chickadees, 2 Dark-eyed Juncos and a Tufted Titmouse.
Here's your list now:
Blue Jay 2 3
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Black-capped Chickadee 3 5
Dark-eyed Junco 6
Downy Woodpecker 1
Tufted Titmouse 1
You've recorded the most birds you saw at one time of each species. Easy!
If you have trouble identifying a bird, check a bird field guide. Birdfeeding hobby shops like your local Wild Birds Unlimited are sure to be helpful too. If you just can't identify the bird, just don't report it. That's fine and perfectly acceptable and better than reporting a bird that really wasn't there!
ENTER YOUR COUNTS ONLINE
Go to the Submit Your Bird Checklist link on the GBBC site and complete the form. That's all there is to it!
NOW YOU'RE A CITIZEN SCIENTIST!
Just by taking these easy steps, you've become a Citizen Scientist! You will join thousands of other birdfeeders just like you in becoming eyes in the field for the scientists. The information you submit will help us all understand birds more.
Turn your kids onto nature by involving them in the Great Backyard Bird Count. The GBBC runs for 4 days over President's Day Weekend (Friday through Monday) each year. Have fun and thank you for counting the birds!
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