The 20th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) will take place Friday through Tuesday, February 17th–21st. This is a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Bird Studies Canada, and the National Audubon Society, while Wild Birds Unlimited is a sponsor for the international event. Wild Birds Unlimited of Bozeman, a local backyard bird feeding and nature specialty store, as well as a sponsor for the event, is encouraging the public to get involved in this international project.
Participating individuals, families, schools, and organizations are encouraged to count birds at bird feeders and in backyards, local parks, or other locations. Those tallies are then reported online through the www.eBird.org OR www.birdcount.org websites. Scientists then use that data to analyze bird populations, migration patterns, habitat needs and identify birds at risk of becoming endangered.
To participate, birders should watch birds for at least 15 minutes at the location of their choice on one or more of the count days. They are to estimate the number of birds they see for each species they can identify. Participants select their location on a map, answer a few questions, enter their tallies, and then submit that data to share their sightings with others around the world.
The data for the count will be powered by “eBird,” an online checklist program for all of the world’s 10,240 bird species. Birders can view what others see on interactive maps, keep their own records, and have their tallies recorded. Because of the GBBC’s partnership with eBird, this year marks the first time that the annual study is open to bird watchers worldwide who wish to participate.
On Friday, February 17th at noon, Lou Ann Harris (serving as Vice President on the Sacajawea Audubon Board) will be giving a short presentation on “Winter Feeder Birds In Our Area” to help us identify the birds we count. She will also review the process to participate in the GBBC and answer any questions you may have. The event will be sponsored at the Bozeman Wild Birds Unlimited Store. Local Participants in the GBBC will be eligible to participate in a drawing to win a prize from Wild Birds Unlimited, one prize to be given out each of the four days. Eligible participants for the drawing will be derived from everyone who logged on to eBird the previous day and submitted their count.
In conjunction with Sacajawea Audubon on Saturday, February 18th, there will be a beginner’s hike at Lewis & Clark Caverns. It will depart at 9:30am and is designed to help beginners identify birds. More information on this hike can be found www.sacajaweaaudubon.org and http://stateparks.mt.gov/lewis-and-clark-caverns.
For more information on the annual count and these events, stop by at the Wild Birds Unlimited Store at 2047 W. Oak St #105. •