HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Game Commission officials are encouraging bird and nature fans throughout the state to join tens of thousands of everyday North American bird watchers for the 12th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), Feb. 13-16. A joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society, this free event is an opportunity for families, students, and people of all ages to discover the wonders of nature in backyards, schoolyards, and local parks, and, at the same time, make an important contribution to conservation.
Participants count birds and report their sightings online.
“These type of activities provide the citizen science with an opportunity to help wildlife,” said Doug Gross, Game Commission biologist. “Anyone who can identify even a few species can contribute to the information wildlife managers use to decide where to invest limited resources in land conservation, as well as habitat improvement or protection.
“Additionally, this is a great opportunity for beginning bird watchers to hone their skills, and for all participants to enjoy the winter landscape. This year, there has been a dramatic invasion of northern finches into Pennsylvania. Pine siskins, white-winged crossbills and red crossbills have been observed at many locations in the state, especially where there are good cone crops. GBBC is a great way for many people to document this phenomenon for posterity.”
Participants are asked to count birds for at least 15 minutes on at least one day of the event and reporting their sightings online. Additional online resources include tips to help identify birds, a photo gallery, and special materials for educators.
“After submitting your report to the Great Backyard Bird Count website, you also may contribute your bird sightings by registering at Pennsylvania’s eBird website,” Gross said. “The Game Commission was the first state wildlife agency to host and manage an ‘eBird’ website, which is dedicated to helping birders throughout North America and the world record their bird observations and improve our understanding of the use of bird habitat and seasonal bird activities.”
To submit sightings, go to the Game Commission’s Web site and click on “Pennsylvania eBird” icon in the left-hand column of the homepage.
The data collected helps Game Commission and other wildlife researchers understand the importance of particular locations to birds and bird population trends, information that is critical for effective conservation. Their efforts enable everyone to see what would otherwise be impossible: a comprehensive picture of where birds are in late winter and how their numbers and distribution compare with previous years. In 2008, participants submitted more than 85,000 checklists.
Each year, in addition to entering their tallies, participants submit thousands of digital images for the GBBC photo contest. Many are featured in the popular online gallery. Participants in the 2009 count also are invited to upload their bird videos to YouTube; some also will be featured on the GBBC Web site. Visit here to learn more.
Businesses, schools, nature clubs, Scout troops, and other community organizations interested in the GBBC can contact the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at (800) 843-2473 (outside the U.S., call (607) 254-2473), or Audubon at citizenscience@audubon.org or (215) 355-9588, ext 16.