Great Backyard Bird Count-2012: Tips from Audubon

It's That Time Again... Great Backyard Bird Count 2012

Results for 2012 GBBC can be found here, displayed in simple and easy to read data. See how your area rates!

Everybody get ready, get set and count! February 17-20

There's plenty of time to participate in the February 17th to 20th event. It’s free to participate, and all materials are available online. The GBBC is open to anyone, novice bird-watchers, seasoned die-hards, and students too. A fantastic citizen-science project where participants need not be able to identify every single species. The online submission process helps check their accuracy and prevent errors. It's easy and fun!

Here’s a fast guide to what’s involved:

Make a plan:

Know your place: Decide whether your count is a STATIONARY COUNT, like watching a feeder out the window, or a TRAVELING COUNT, such as birding during a hike. Print out a data form so that you’ll know what information to record, and a regional bird checklist to help with identification.
Count: Record the highest number of each species seen together at one time in stationary counts. For traveling counts, record the total number of individual birds of each species you see during the walk. For more info, visit http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/howto.html.
Report: Enter your findings through the website by clicking on “Enter Your Checklists!” and following instructions.
Spread the word: Tell others about your experience. Find out how to be a GBBC ambassador by clicking “Get Involved” on the website. Also, join the GBBC Facebook group, and tweet about the count (use #GBBC when tweeting).