New participants welcome for Great Backyard Bird Count

The curious, active Carolina wren can make an appearance in bushy undergrowth, suburban areas, and towns. 

Lisa Timpf

Advocate Contributor

If you’re looking for an inexpensive, fun Family Day weekend activity that also supports science, The Great Backyard Bird Count might have the answer.

This year’s Great Backyard Bird Count, or GBBC as it is also known, takes place February 14-17. The GBBC invites citizens around the world to count birds and report the numbers of each bird species they see or hear during 15-minute count periods.

Participants can do as many, or as few, counts as they wish during the four-day period. Data can be submitted in a variety of ways, through the Merlin Bird ID app, the eBird mobile app, or by using a computer or laptop to access the eBird website.

Launched in 1998, the GBBC was, according to the birdcount.org website, the “first online participatory-science project… to collect data on wild birds and to display results in near real time.” Data from the GBBC helps scientists study trends in bird numbers and distribution.

Birds Canada joined the event in 2009 to help promote involvement in Canada. The GBBC became a global project in 2013. 

While some people join the count year after year, new participants are always welcome. Novice birders may find the Merlin Bird ID app helpful. The Merlin app can be set to provide a list of birds most likely to appear at the user’s location. 

Users can scroll through the pictures, and when they spot the photo that matches a bird they see, they can tap on it. Merlin can also assist in identifying birds by their sounds. Those who are still uncertain about the identity of a given bird can submit a photo for experts to identify. More information about the count, and how to participate, is posted at the birdcount.org site.

Locally, Birds Canada is holding an event for novice birders at their headquarters at 115 Front Road in Port Rowan. The event, which takes place Saturday, Feb. 15 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., is, according to organizer Kyle Cameron, “Birding 101.” Participants will learn birding basics, then head out for a walk around the Birds Canada headquarters to apply their new knowledge.

Binoculars will be available on loan. The event will also include lunch and a raffle, and crafts will be available for the younger participants. Microscopes will also be used to examine interesting objects like feathers, says Cameron.

The Saturday, Feb. 15 event is free of charge, but pre-registration is required. Last year, the local event reached its maximum of 50 participants, and Cameron is hoping for a similar turnout this year.

Dr. Matthew Fuirst, Manager of Bird Observatory Operations for Birds Canada, is enthused about the event’s value.

“People often need an activity in winter and our Great Backyard Bird Count at Birds Canada is a fun and educating way to learn about the birds you can see around your home,” said Fuirst.

Of course, participants are welcome to participate in the GBBC without attending Saturday’s event. When asked what to be on the lookout for this year, Cameron suggests that local birders keep an eye out for snow buntings, which like to frequent crop stubble and lakeshores. He also notes that horned larks might be seen, sometimes among the flocks of buntings.