GBBC and Global Warming
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Audubon's recent report on Birds and Climate Change shows how global warming is causing birds to shift where they live and also how important volunteer bird counts are to help us keep track of these movements.
The Great Backyard Bird Count is another tool that can help us keep track of how birds respond to climate change. While it takes many years of bird sightings to conclusively show how birds are responding, this year we will collect bird sightings from across North America for the 12th year.
In fact, the GBBC may be better poised than the Christmas Bird Count to help us see some of the impacts of climate change, including:
Early Migration: Since it takes place over a month after the Christmas Bird Count, the GBBC gives us a look at the early migration of birds including Sandhill Cranes, Tree Swallows, and Purple Martins. If global warming leads these birds to migrate earlier than they used to, we will catch this on the GBBC.
Overwintering Birds: On the Christmas Bird Count sometimes its hard to know if a bird that is supposed to be much farther south is just a late lingerer or if it is overwintering in the area. By February, when we do the GBBC, these birds are clearly overwintering rather than migrating late.
Small-scale local shifts: While the Christmas Bird Count gives us information on birds in over 2,000 count circles (mostly in North America), the Great Backyard Bird Count can give us counts of birds from anywhere in North America. The GBBC isn't limited by count circles, it is only limited by the number of people participating.
While the Christmas Bird Count is clearly a critical and invaluable tool--with over 100 years of data and statistical methods worked out so that we can use the data to track bird population trends, as we work with the GBBC, develop ways to analyze its results, and continue to add counts and improve its geographic coverage, it will become another useful tool in monitoring climate change and its impacts on birds.
So help us track global warming by getting out and counting those birds with your friends and family on the Great Backyard Bird Count!
Early migration
Red-winged blackbirds are here in Southern Vermont... I heard them yesterday, and a large group came to my house today - 2/23. For the past three years they have usually arrived in the second week of March, so they are almost two weeks earlier...
Global warming - loss of snowcover - stray domestic cats as a problem
Here in south central Michigan we lost our snow - for the second time this winter! We had record snows of recent years and within the last week higher than normal temperatures and loss of snowcover. So, I was ready for a very nice tally of species this year - but this morning, Friday, it seemed like all "my" birds packed up and went north, along with the resident hawks. Number of birds in this area sure has been declining, especially this year. Hawk strikes are getting more successful with maturity. But, here in town stray cats are the big culprit. I don't hear much about any research on this aspect of declining numbers and species. I have estimated that just 1 cat in this neighborhood has killed 1,872 birds in my yard alone in the past 5 years!!! This is staggering. Communities won't pass ordinances. Animal control agencies refuse to address the problem. Any help?
Stray cats and declining birds
You should check out the American Bird Conservancy website and their "Cats Indoors!" campaign. They have lots of good resources and references about this important issue including guidance on community education and ordinance development, etc.
As both a bird and cat lover I feel this campaign has multiple benefits for both cats and birds (also small mammals).
woodpecker
I spotted this woodpecker twice in almost 2 years, the first time it landed next to mee what sitting under a tree aand quickly took off, today it was by my house and took off it does not match my pictures of a pileated woodpecker but that of the ivory bill woodpecker neither time was I able to take picture seams shy. I live along rosier creek that contain some wetlands off the potomac river in virginia.
woodpecker
I spotted this woodpecker twice in almost 2 years, the first time it landed next to mee what sitting under a tree aand quickly took off, today it was by my house and took off it does not match my pictures of a pileated woodpecker but that of the ivory bill woodpecker neither time was I able to take picture seams shy. I live along rosier creek that contain some wetlands off the potomac river in virginia. gtogarrison@yahho.com
woodpecker
I spotted this woodpecker twice in almost 2 years, the first time it landed next to me while sitting under a tree aand quickly took off, today it was by my house and took off it does not match my pictures of a pileated woodpecker but that of the ivory bill woodpecker neither time was I able to take picture seams shy. I live along rosier creek that contain some wetlands off the potomac river in virginia. gtogarrison@yahho.com
GBBC bird count
I just entered my current counts to the GBBC and was unable to add the 2 black-crested titmice that I observed. Can you help me with contacting Cornell Lab of Ornithology? Thanks for any help you can give. My e-mail is honeywolf12@hotmail.com
Early migration
A few weeks ago I spotted a species I can not identify. I've contacted CLO thru the feeder watch program for info as well as hours of research to try and positively ID these birds and I still can not be 100% positive. They looked like, Yellow Breasted Chats. Everything about them that is listed in my field guide, pictures and info I obtained online confirms that was what they were. However, by their behavior and never being seen in my area this time of year, I can not claim positively that is what they were!! Three of the five birds I saw were roosting in the top branches of a 40 foot barren tree. I was able to get a close look at them thru binocculars and observe them a good hour. Yellow breasted chats are not known to roost in trees. It was suggested they may have been, Eastern Meadowlarks, American Goldfinches or Grosbeak. I can positively say they were not any of these. My mother who lives in upstate New York told me the other day that she read an article in the news paper about migration being early this year. I can not find the article she refered to online at the, Utica Observer Dispatch, where she read it. I was excited to hear that just maybe my birds could be yellow breasted chats if it's true about the early migration...it's WAY early I know. That still doesn't change the fact that them roosting so high is not common for yellow breasted chats! Any idea's or response to my comment/question will be VERY much appreciated!!! Thanks loads! Linda in Western North Carolina
Slate colored Juncos
They have been renamed Dark-eyed Junco.
Globial Warming
In the 27 years where my students and I have gone looking for birds, we have found that historicaly, the first American Robin arrives in Central Montana around March 15. Last year, we found our first Robin on Feb. 15. This year, I have heard reports from several people that they have seen three or four robins in town by Feb. 6th. Global Warming?