This is the month for the annual Great Backyard Bird Count, which runs from Feb. 17-20. It’s my favorite time of winter, when I cannot only enjoy watching birds in my yard, but also contribute to science.
It’s simple. Pick a spot, be it your yard or any place you want in the state. Then, watch and record the species and number of individual birds you see for at least 15 minutes at least once during the bird count period.
Enter your data online until March 1. Anyone can find Great Backyard Bird Count data at www.birdcount.org. It just takes a little searching.
Humans love to count things, including birds. There’s a psychological reason for this, and anthropologist Meredith F. Small explains, “Humans have been counting things ever since they scratched lines on rocks, bones or clay tables to keep track of their herds, or whatever else they wanted to tally.
“Today we count numbers for everything — finances, inventories, family size, age or blood count — and all day long,” she writes. “Because numbers actually represent whatever we are tracking — people, money, time — they are real, tangible, and have consequences. And because they represent reality, we trust these numbers that often guide our decisions and lives.”
That certainly makes sense for birds. Last year, during the count, we had an unprecedented number of common redpolls in our yard. For us, the consequence was less money in our pocket that year because we spent hundreds upon hundreds of dollars on thistle seed that the redpolls love.
On Feb. 18, 2022, I counted 356 common redpolls in the front yard at feeders, on the branches licking snow to gain moisture and on the ground snatching up fallen side. It was the high count for that species in all of Illinois last year, and my count, along with a photo and link to a video, are online for everyone to see.
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Here’s a rather unwieldy URL to find my sightings: https://ebird.org/gbbc/region/US-IL?yr=EBIRD_GBBC_2022&m=&rank=hc. Scroll down to 142.
Those numbers entered into a huge database can reveal interesting facts about the movements and behaviors of birds. Redpolls live in the northern boreal zones of the United States, where they eat seeds from birch and alder trees. Some years, the trees don’t produce enough seeds to sustain the redpolls, so they fly south to find food.
Our thistle feeders may have saved the lives of some of these redpolls, though there also were birch and alder seeds in natural areas for them to find in the region. Data entered about redpolls over the years can point to whether tree species are changing seed production strategies, and so much more.
This year, there’s another story playing out. Since fall, we’ve had up to three fox sparrows feeding in our yard. This species breeds all across Canada, then migrates as far south as Florida for the winter.
We don’t expect many to stay here all winter, especially in northern Illinois, but they’re here and I’m thrilled to add them to the Great Backyard Bird Count database.
Does this point to climate change? It’s just one anecdote, but put that in a database, and analyze data over man years, and a theory might emerge. Of the 142 species observed in Illinois last year, the highest count for fox sparrow was three in Cook County. I’m not sure I can beat that number, but it does give me a goal in the doldrums of mid-February.
The number of participants in the GBBC has doubled in the past eight years, according to Cornell Lab, which runs the event and makes the numbers available for statisticians to crunch. Last year, people from 192 countries participated.
Most of the researchers who use online bird data are looking at longitudinal questions, climate change, regional changes, if birds are starting to migrate soon or being seen earlier or later in the year.
I don’t just count the unusual birds during the GBBC. All species get tallied. Northern cardinal, black-capped chickadee, house sparrow, downy woodpecker, White-breasted nuthatch and dark-eyed juncos are common winter birds in northern Illinois, and it’s important to count all of them during the four-day event.
For example, I recorded 21 juncos the same day I counted 342 redpolls. You don’t have to be a professional bird watcher to contribute to the count. If you know some of the common birds, like cardinal and chickadee, start there. Get your children involved.
There’s a host of online information to help you identify birds in your yard. Here’s a link to learn more about bird identification: https://www.birdcount.org/merlin-bird-id-app
The GBBC gives you a chance to be a scientist, see what’s happening in your yard you might not have noticed before, and learn more about the creatures with feathers that grace our yards and other environments in winter.
Sheryl DeVore has worked as a full-time and freelance reporter, editor and photographer for the baiduhai and its subsidiaries. She’s the author of several books on nature and the environment. Send story ideas and thoughts to [email protected]