What’s all the Chirping About?


The 15th annual GBBC is coming - February 17-20, 2012


The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event offering bird watchers of all levels an opportunity to count birds and help scientists get a “real-time snapshot” of which birds are where across the country.


The GBBC is open to everyone - from beginning bird watchers to experts and it can take as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event. You tally & record the highest number of birds of each species seen together at any one time and then report your count online.


Why Count Birds? Bird populations are dynamic; they are constantly in a state of flux. No single scientist or team could hope to document the complex distribution and movements of so many species in such a short time. Scientists use the GBBC counts, along with other citizen-science observations, such as the Christmas Bird Count, Project FeederWatch, and eBird, to provide 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, such as:


How does this winter’s snow and cold temperatures influence bird populations?


Where are winter finches and other “irruptive” species that appear in large numbers during some years but not others?


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?


Are any birds undergoing worrisome declines that point to the need for more conservation attention?


Where to Count: It is important that scientists get counts from all over the country, but equally important they get counts in various scenarios - rural, urban, forests, beaches, etc. This helps determine if birds are changing habitat for any reason and if certain areas have declined or grown in numbers of certain species. For your own interest, if you have dedicated the weekend to the count, you may want to vary your areas - count 1/2 day or a day in rural areas and another in urban and then on a mountain or at a beach. See below for suggested spots in Oregon for counting.


How to Count: ♦ Visit the same location for at least 15 minutes (or more), write down only the highest number of each species you see together at any one time to avoid counting the same birds more than once. For example, if you see 8 cardinals as you start your count period, then later you see 12, and later still you see 3, you’ll only report 12--the highest number you saw together at once. Please do not add the numbers together.


♦ Submit your data on a new checklist for each day you participate in the count. It’s OK if you count at the same location each day; simply submit a new list for each day.


♦ Submit a new checklist for each new location. You can submit more than one checklist on a given day if you count at more than one site.


How to Report: When you’re ready to enter your checklist(s), go to www. birdcount.org and click on the big “Submit your checklists” button at the top. This button will not appear until 7am on February 18th. Then fill in the information as prompted in the following categories:


Location: Enter zip code, town, specific national park or locale where you counted.


Count Details: Enter your email address to receive reports and be available if there’s a question about your sightings. You will also enter day of count, habitat at count site, snow depth, etc.


Checklist: Fill in boxes by each bird species with the highest number of that species you saw together at one time during your count. If you enter a species or a number of birds that is unusual for your area in February, you’ll get an “oops” message at the top of the page when you try to submit your list. Your report will go to a GBBC data reviewer for your area - a normal part of the process. You may even be contacted by a reviewer to confirm the sighting. If you do see something unusual, it’s VERY helpful if you can take a digital photo just in case confirmation of the sighting is needed. If you want an email of your report, be sure to click the box for to receive that and hit the “submit” button at the bottom of the final page - and you’re done! Follow this same procedure for each checklist.


Thank you for joining the Great Backyard Bird Count!


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.


14 YOUNG AT HEART ♦ February 2012


Sound Like Fun? Get Ready… First, it is helpful to print a regional tally sheet so that you will have a list of birds you are likely to see in your area in February. To print your local sheet, go to gbbc.birdsource.org/gbbcApps/checklist and enter your city or zip code. Look it over and decide if you want to use references (books, online, etc.) to identify birds you may not immediately recognize. Decide where you will count - maybe more than one place that weekend (see below); gather your supplies: water, food, reference guides, paper & pencil, binoculars and camera; pick a comfortable spot to watch and count.


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