The Great Backyard Bird Count was
the first program, started in 1998, by the
Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National
Audubon Society.. It was the first citizen-
science data collection project that
showed the results in real-time online for
the study of wild birds.
Every year in February there are four
days where you can participate along
with more than 160,000 people of all
ages to create an annual snapshot of
what kind of birds you see where you
live. This year, The Great Backyard Bird
Count days are February 14-17.
You can help them try to find answers
to many questions, such as:
How will the weather and climate
change influence bird populations?
Some birds, such as winter finches,
appear in large numbers during some
years but not others.
Where are these species from
year to year, and what can we
learn from these patterns?
How will the timing of birds' migrations
compare with past years?
How are bird diseases,
such as West Nile
virus, affecting
birds in different
regions?
What kinds of
differences in bird
diversity are apparent
in cities versus
suburban, rural, and
natural areas?
Each year, more and more
people participate in The Great
Backyard Bird Count from all over
the world. In 2019 there were more than
6,800 species identified in more than
100 countries around the world. Since
the GBBC was started, there have been
over 32 MILLION birds counted as of
December 2019.
You can count birds for 15 minutes
only, or make a day of it with friends and
pack a picnic. Bird-watching can be done
from your backyard without any special
equipment. You just need your eyes and
ears. If you bird watch with a friend,
think about switching yards. There may
be different birds
visiting or flying over.
You might really like
birdwatching, and want
to get more involved. Other
handy equipment to have is a
pair of binoculars. If you have a
camera, you can take photos of the birds
you spot and put them on The Great
Backyard Bird Count website with help
Red Tailed Hawk
Northern
Cardinal
Carolina
Chickadee
Heron rookery
Tree
swallow
40 • Of f icialKidsMag.com • FEBRUARY 2020
