Are you willing to talk to a reporter about the Great Backyard Bird Count? Relax and have fun. If you’re unsure how to answer any question you’re asked, just tell the reporter to contact us:

Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Miyoko Chu (607) 254-2451
National Audubon Society: Erica Barton ( 212) 979-3197

Why do you participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count? Share your thoughts about what motivates you and what you like best about it. You might mention a few favorite birds or memorable moments you’ve had during the count.

What is the Great Backyard Bird Count? It’s a fun, easy, and free annual event that anyone can participate in, and it helps the birds! Tens of thousands of people from across the United States and Canada will count birds for at least 15 minutes during February 16-19. Then they send their counts to the Great Backyard Bird Count web site.
 
This creates a real-time picture of where the birds are—something that would be impossible without participants counting from communities everywhere. Last year, they reported more than 7.5 million birds of 623 different species. They sent in 60,616 checklists, just 433 short of an all-time record.

Every checklist counts! Scientists can use the information to learn more about birds and work toward their conservation. By looking at trends over time, they find out which species may declining and how they may be affected by factors such as urbanization, West Nile virus, or global warming. 

The GBBC is led by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, with sponsorship by Wild Birds Unlimited.

Why should people participate? It’s fun to watch birds and see how your counts fit in with the big picture, and to contribute to a long-term record that scientists can use well into the future to keep track of how birds are faring.  Also, it’s easy; wherever you happen to be, just count the highest number of each kind of bird you see at any one time…that’s it!

How do people participate? It’s easy—anyone can do it. Just watch birds anywhere for at least 15 minutes. Record the highest number of birds you see at any one time. Then enter your counts online at the Great Backyard Bird Count web site www.birdsource.org/gbbc. (Instructions, bird watching tips, and photos are available on the GBBC web site.) On the web site, you can also see what others are reporting throughout the U.S. and Canada.

What kinds of birds do people see? All sorts of birds! Participants reported 623 species last year. For a list of last year’s local results or the GBBC top 10 birds, visit the results page.

What have scientists learned from past counts? The Great Backyard Bird Count provides an amazing amount of information about the locations and numbers of birds. For example, last year’s count showed the early spring migratory routes of Sandhill Cranes and recorded lingering migrants such as Orange-crowned Warblers and Tree Swallows. It showed an ongoing range expansion of introduced Eurasian Collared-Doves, declining numbers of American Crows, and inundations of American Robins in some regions.  For more examples, visit the “Science Stories” section of the web site.