If you can tell what bird species these little fellows belong to, you’re ready to take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count
February brings the national Great Backyard Bird Count, a national event gathering thousands of participants each year. The 19th edition of the Great Backyard Bird Count welcomes young and elder to an exciting round of bird-watching.
Bird-watching is not only fun and relaxing. While stumbling upon the most unexpected surprises at the feeders, citizens help scientists conduct a census of American birds populations and gather more scientific data. Everyone is welcome to participate in local events organized under the umbrella of the Great Backyard Bird Count. From pre-school children to the elderly, everyone can practice their bird-recognition and counting skills.
Between February 12th and February 15th, counting American birds is a paramount activity. Scientists nation-wide rely on citizen’s help to submit their data. The data thus collected is used to analyze the American bird populations, their migration patterns, as well as their habitat needs. Your efforts may help identify those birds which are nearing the endangered status.
The data submitted by citizen scientists will be powered by the online eBird.org platform. This is a platform offering surprising information on 10,240 bird species. Joining the platform during the Great Backyard Bird Count will allow interaction with other citizen scientist. Interactive maps are at your disposal, a tool to record your bird tally is also features, and your own records will be saved.
February brings the national Great Backyard Count, the largest event of its kind on American soil. All those willing to participate don’t even have to spent more than 15 minutes bird-watching. It’s the small things that count too. Bird watching may be done anywhere. From your park to the backyard feeder to the woods and fields around.
Contribute your knowledge of bird species and help scientists in their efforts to gain deeper insight on these fascinating beings. If you’re not convinced about the fun this weekend’s national event can bring, just search testimonies from previous years. One comment on Facebook read:
“Birding is a wonderful hobby for all ages and a wonderful window into the natural world”.
Many examples of birds’ social interactions have been posted online too. And they’re fascinating stories. February brings the national Great Backyard Bird Count, a much anticipated event by all bird watching enthusiasts.
The efforts of citizen scientists participating in the annual event are much appreciated. Last year’s tally brough 147,265 checklists registered worldwide. In the U.S., Virginia held the record with the most submissions from bird watching enthusiasts.
Photo Credits: Flickr
