In February, I participated in the Great Backyard Bird Count. The annual event is hosted jointly by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Audubon, and Birds Canada. Over a long weekend, citizen birdwatchers from around the world count birds from wherever they are. Two free apps are available for identifying and reporting observations – Merlin ID and eBird. A training webinar is offered in the weeks leading up to the event, and posted online. The GBBC results for the world are reported on their dashboard (use filters to hone in on specific locations). I’ve participated in this fun and important event for the last couple of years (see Counting Birds and Counting Birds for the GBBC).
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| Use the Merlin ID app to identify birds in your selected area |
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| Use Merlin's Sound ID feature to identify birds by their songs or sounds |
This year I submitted two lists on two separate days. Both were made during 15-minute periods, while walking in the neighborhood (up by the reservoir near the oak and redwood grove). This small woodsy area provides plenty of food for birds and trees for cover, with few people in the area to disturb our avian friends.
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| Use the eBird app to submit bird lists to the GBBC |
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| Use eBird to see what other species have been observed nearby |
I was surprised to see that many of the bird species that I heard and saw in the woodsy area, also frequent the Bird Buddy feeder in our yard. Examples include Oak Titmouse, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, American Robin, House Finch, Song Sparrow, California Towhee, Dark-eyed Junco, and California Scrub-jay. The numbers and varieties explain why our Bird Buddy feeder is depleted of bird seed so quickly (glad to know that the birds are not just relying on the bird feeder for sustenance)! The GBBC is a great way for citizen scientists to contribute data related to one of our favorite hobbies - watching birds in our backyards and in nature.
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