#bird count

Happy Bird Count week, everyone!

For those who don't know, from the 20th to the 26th of October, people around Australia can help scientists by spending 20 minutes - once, twice, many times a day - chilling at a location of their choice and logging all of the birds spotted there. The information helps monitor migratory movements and breeding rates (and possibly more) of our feathered friends and is a completely free activity to do alone or with the family, friends, or even coworkers!

For more information, feel free to visit these sites:

You can also download the Aussie Bird Count app to submit your findings. The app has an updated library of birds found in Australia, which not only shows which part of the country they can be found in but also full descriptions of their appearance. Not only that, but if you've spotted a bird and are unsure of what it is, the bird finder will help you narrow it down by size, shape and colour! No more mystery birds! (if you can see it for long enough to give accurate enough information, and not just as a blur zipping past your face XD)

So what are you waiting for? Grab a comfy spot and log our modern dinosaurs, like this Silvereye having a stretch!

So you want to take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count?  You’ve got your nature notebook ready and you’ve found the perfect spot to birdwatch.  What do you do next?  The Great Backyard Bird Count website has a lot of resources to help you organize your bird counts and submit your information, so you should check those out before the bird count starts.  This post will give you a basic picture of how to document the birds you see and submit your observations properly.

Make a List, Check it Twice

Photo credit: Jim Judkis

Creating a checklist before you start birdwatching will be really helpful in organizing your research.  You can print out this template, enter your location on the count’s website to create a checklist, or create your own guide using a list of birds found in your area.  When you enter your observations online, you will submit a “checklist” for each different session of birdwatching. These lists will document where and when you observed, what species you noticed, and how many individual birds you estimated per species.  A bird guide like the Merlin Bird ID app can help you identify birds you see.  

You will want to make a new checklist for each new day, new location, or new time that you look for birds.  For example, you’ll need two checklists if you observe in the same location on two different days, in two different locations on the same day, or in the same location but at two separate times.  When you go to submit your observations, you will be asked to enter the location, date, time, and duration of your expedition.  You will also be asked whether you were walking, standing, sitting, or even riding in a car while you were counting.  Now go forth and count those birds!

Data Ready

Once you have collected your data, all you need to do is go online and enter in the number of birds you saw next to the name of the birds you noticed!  You can also add details about each bird species and if you were able to take pictures of any birds, you can include them as well.  

Keep in Mind

The submission form will have a question at the end, “Are you submitting a complete checklist of the birds you were able to identify?” which can be confusing to some.  You should only click “no” if you are deliberately excluding a species from your list (for example you counted everything except crows).

Explore nature together. Visit Nature 360 for more activities and information.

Join Us for the Great Backyard Bird Count

February 17-20, 2017

It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. Register for the count or use your existing login name and password. If you have never participated in the Great Backyard Bird Count or any other Cornell Lab citizen-science project, you’ll need to create a new account. If you already created an account for last year’s GBBC, or if you’re already registered with eBird or another Cornell Lab citizen-science project, you can use your existing login information.

2. Count birds for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the GBBC. You can count for longer than that if you wish! Count birds in as many places and on as many days as you like—one day, two days, or all four days. Submit a separate checklist for each new day, for each new location, or for the same location if you counted at a different time of day. Estimate the number of individuals of each species you saw during your count period.

3. Enter your results on the GBBC website by clicking “Submit Observations” on the home page. Or download the free eBird Mobile app to enter data on a mobile device. If you already participate in the eBird citizen-science project, please use eBird to submit your sightings during the GBBC. Your checklists will count toward the GBBC.