The Great Backyard Bird Count returns for its 11th season Feb. 15-18. The National Audubon Society, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division invite everyone to count birds with a buddy throughout Georgia this winter.

“Bird enthusiasts of all ages can share their love of birds with a friend, a child, a scout troop, a class or a co-worker, opening new eyes to the joy of birding and the fun of creating a unique snapshot of winter bird abundance and distribution across the continent,” said Tim Keyes, a Wildlife Resources wildlife biologist and member of the Atlanta Audubon Society.

Every pair of eyes is needed and everybirdy counts, whether in a backyard, on a high-rise balcony, in a park or on any of Georgia’s publicly owned lands.

In 2007, Georgia ranked fourth in North America for the total number of checklists submitted to the Great Backyard Bird Count (3,989 checklists). Georgia birders young and young-at-heart documented 223 species and more than 280,468 individual birds, ranking fifth and 10th respectively in North America. Other rankings for our state include localities submitting the most checklists - Atlanta was sixth with 339 checklists - and localities reporting the most species - Savannah ranked third with 155 species. 

People often wonder what concrete steps they can take to help wildlife, said Keyes. This is a great opportunity for birders of all skill levels to contribute data to nationwide monitoring that is an important component of bird conservation efforts. The Great Backyard Bird Count is also a great gateway into other citizen science programs, such as Project Feeder Watch, Christmas Bird Counts and the Breeding Bird Survey. These counts have the potential to trigger a lifelong passion for birds. 

In 2007, Great Backyard Bird Count participants from throughout the United States and Canada made history, breaking records for the number of birds reported and the number of checklists. Participants sent in

81,203 checklists tallying 11,082,387 birds of 613 species. These millions of sightings generate what would be impossible otherwise - continent-wide information about where the birds are and how their numbers compare with previous years. 

Everyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to seasoned experts. During the count, bird watchers tally up birds for as little as

15 minutes or for as long as they like, keeping track of the highest number of each bird species they see together at any one time. People are encouraged to report birds from public lands and local parks, as well as from their backyards. 

Participants enter their numbers online at www.birdcount.org and can explore sightings maps, lists and charts as the count progresses. 

For more than a decade, the Great Backyard Bird Count has kept tabs on the ever-changing patterns of birds in winter. In 2007, the count documented the westward expansion of red-bellied woodpeckers into Colorado and the Texas Panhandle. The count also documented the largest robin roost to date in Florida, with more than a million individuals, and continued to track the meteoric rise of the Eurasian collared-dove. 

“This project has become a major source of scientific information about North American bird populations,” said Dr. John Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. “It is a classic example of the vital role citizens and the Internet now play in understanding our planet.” 

Participants who want to hone their bird-watching skills can learn more from the Great Backyard Bird Count web site at www.birdsource.org/gbbc, which offers identification tips and access to photos, sounds, maps and natural history information on more than 500 bird species. People can also submit photos to an online gallery showcasing the dazzling array of winter birds found during the bird count. 

The Great Backyard Bird Count is a free event, sponsored in part by Wild Birds Unlimited. Visit www.birdcount.org to find out how you can promote the count in your town and download a free 2008 poster.