Great Backyard Bird Count

The Great Backyard Bird Count –  February 18 – 21, 2022

Bird watchers of all ages around the world will count birds during the 25th  annual Great Backyard Bird Count which will be held From Friday, February 18th – Monday, February,21st. It is a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the National Audubon Society, and Bird Studies Canada. This great international citizen science event is held every year for 4 days in February and is free, fun, easy to do, educational .and  important for scientists around the world. Citizen Science is the practice of public participation and collaboration in scientific research to increase scientific knowledge. People share and contribute to data monitoring and collection. In 2021, over 190 countries and over 300,000 people counted 6,436 species and over 30,000,000 individual birds.

Why do we count birds? During the count time, each participant must count birds where they are for at least 15 minutes. You may count many times in different places throughout those 4 days. The count data is placed on checklists that are eventually sent to ebird for compilation. This collected data is used by scientists to study bird populations, understand birds, see changes  in species and habitats, see the health of bird populations, predict species in trouble, and assess how climate change is affecting bird populations. To learn more about this international event, go to birdcount.org. and learn how to do a count, how to fill out checklists, how to send in your count and how to register for a free webinar on Wednesday, February 16, 2022.

As we have done over the last  8 years (not 2021), the Friends of the Fossil Beds are sponsoring a Great Backyard Bird Count event on Saturday, February 19th from 9 AM to 1 PM. Please join us for a variety of activities including 15-minute bird counts, making bird feeders,  doing bird scavenger hunts, bird behavior charades, bird bingo, and a beak matching game. There are no set times for any of these activities, except that we will take groups that wish to do a bird count for 15-minute walks

Important logistics:  This event is open to the public. The Visitor Center will be open to use the bathrooms and for purchases. Masks must be worn indoors. The outdoor bathrooms are closed for the season. Bring your own water. Picnic tables are available for snacks or lunch. As we have no idea how many people may be joining us, we ask that you plan not to spend more than 1-1/2  to 2 hours. Children 16 and under are free. Adults’ daily fee is $10.00. If you have 4th graders with you, they are eligible for a free one-year pass to all National Park Service Units. Find out about that program by going to “Every Kid in a Park.”

We always hope for good weather. Make sure that you are properly clothed with good footgear for the conditions. In case of a big snowstorm, the event may be canceled. We are always looking for helpers. If you would like to help or have any questions about this event, please call Sally McCracken at 719-510-5518 or email her at sammckind@aol.com

If you are bringing a group of people such as YES Clubs, please contact Sally at least a week in advance so that we can plan for you. We look forward to you joining us for a great event.