You don’t need the Great Backyard Bird Count to make counting birds great. Heck, you don’t even need a backyard; you can do it from anywhere.
This weekend, as bad weather blows across the East End and you’re staring out the window, stare for science, and count the birds that you see in your backyard and at your bird feeder. The count, co-sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the Audubon Society, and Bird Canada, takes place from tomorrow until Monday evening. Any bird you see, count, and report (as long as you’ve watched birds for at least 15 minutes on one of the four days) will mean that you’ve participated in the Great Backyard Bird Count.
“If you already use eBird or Merlin, your submissions over the four days count towards G.B.B.C.,” it says on birdcount.org, the official website of the count. The bird-counting industry is subversive in that way. You didn’t even realize you were involved, did you?
Reporting data is easy in this era of screens. First, if you’re already experienced at identifying birds, you can create an account with eBird (it’s free) and submit a checklist with your findings, either on your smartphone through the app, or on your desktop through the website. If you’re less comfortable with identifying birds on your own, you can download the Merlin Bird ID app (also free) on your phone, and anything it picks up will automatically be submitted.
You can also go to eBird and download a checklist of likely birds that will show up at your feeder. This you can print out and leave by the window to check the species as you see them. You can then take those data and create an eBird report with them.
Counting birds doesn’t have to be a solitary experience. The Montauk Library, for one, is making it into a public happening from 10 to 11 a.m. on Saturday. A staff member will help identify birds that are common to Montauk, and participants will count those visiting the library’s feeders and sanctuary garden.
“We will meet on the children’s deck to watch the library feeders, then continue around the library grounds. This family-friendly program is open to beginner birders,” the library’s website reports.
What’s it all for? According to birdcount.org, taking part means you’re part of a “global movement to better understand how bird populations are doing.”
