What is the GBBC?
| Yellow-rumped Warbler, Will Stuart, NC, 2009 GBBC |
The 2010 GBBC took place Friday, February 12, through Monday, February 15.
The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds. We'll be adding updated GBBC materials for the next count as they become available.
Participants count birds anywhere for as little or as long as they
wish during the four-day period. They tally the highest number of birds
of each species seen together at any one time. To report their counts,
they fill out an online checklist at the Great Backyard Bird
Count website.
As the count progresses, anyone with Internet access can explore what
is being reported from their own towns or anywhere in the United States
and Canada. They can also see how this year's numbers compare with
those from previous years. Participants may also send in photographs of
the birds they see. A selection of images is posted in the online photo gallery.
Why Count Birds?
| American Goldfinch Gail DuBois, NY, 2009 GBBC |
Scientists and bird enthusiasts can learn a lot by knowing where the
birds are. Bird populations are dynamic; they are constantly in flux.
No single scientist or team of scientists could hope to document the
complex distribution and movements of so many species in such a short
time.
We need your help. Make sure the birds from your community are well
represented in the count. It doesn't matter whether you report the 5
species coming to your backyard feeder or the 75 species you see during
a day's outing to a wildlife refuge.
Your counts can help us answer many questions:
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How will this winter's snow and cold temperatures influence bird populations?
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Where are winter finches and other “irruptive” species that appear in large numbers during some years but not others?
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How will the timing of birds’ migrations compare with past years?
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How are bird diseases, such as West Nile virus, affecting birds in different regions?
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What kinds of differences in bird diversity are apparent in cities versus suburban, rural, and natural areas?
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Are any birds undergoing worrisome declines that point to the need for conservation attention?
Tricolored Heron, Debbie Hurlbert, FL 2009 GBBC |
Scientists use the counts, along with observations from other
citizen-science projects, such as the Christmas Bird Count, Project
FeederWatch, and eBird, to give us an immense picture of our winter
birds. Each year that these data are collected makes them more
meaningful and allows scientists to investigate far-reaching
questions.
For highlights of past results, visit the Science Stories section of the GBBC web site.
The Great Backyard Bird Count is led by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, with Canadian partner Bird Studies Canada and sponsorship from Wild Birds Unlimited.
