Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Fwd: GBBC eNews: Overall Count Summary

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Great Backyard Bird Count" <gbbc@cornell.edu>
Date: Mar 10, 2015 10:06 AM
Subject: GBBC eNews: Overall Count Summary
To: <prosbird@
Cc:


In this issue: 2015 GBBC overview, an invitation to keep counting and exploring. Is this email not displaying correctly?
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GBBC eNewsletter 

March 10, 2015

Western Meadowlark, Chuck Gibson, Kansas, 2015 GBBC

GBBC 2015  Overview

You did it! Once again participants from around the world set new records for the number of species identified during the four days of the Great Backyard Bird Count and for the number of checklists submitted.
 
Total checklists: 147,265 (up 3,156)
Total species: 5,090 (up 794)
Estimated participants: 143,941 (up 1,890)

Looking for Boreal Chickadees. Gordon Atkins, Michigan, 2015 GBBC
Bad weather really had an impact on participation in the heavily populated northeastern quadrant of the United States and across Canada. Bitter temperatures, snow, and high winds produced a noticeable drop in the number of checklists submitted from those regions. Kudos to those who braved the elements to count (humans) and be counted (the birds)! And congratulations to our outstanding performers across the globe. Below are the Top 10 countries ranked by number of checklists submitted:
 
Country Number of Species Number of Checklists
United States 671 108,396
Canada 241 10,491
India 717 6,810
Australia 524 812
Mexico 653 425
Costa Rica 559 303
Portugal 197 193
New Zealand 126 161
Ecuador 784 138
Honduras 353 133

Read the 2015 GBBC summary on the website.

Do some more exploring on your own. How many Snowy Owls were reported in your state or province? Did Pine Siskins show up in your county? How many species were identified in your country? Use the "Explore a Region" tool to find out.
 

Still Have Checklists to Enter?

Although data entry has been closed on the GBBC website, you can still enter any lingering lists by going directly to the eBird online checklist program at www.eBird.org. You can use the same user name and password (which you have carefully saved for next year). Any observations entered in eBird for the GBBC dates, February 13-16, 2015, will be part of the count.

Great Horned Owl, Robert Strickland, Florida, 2015 GBBC

We Get the Picture

More than 4,000 images were uploaded for the GBBC photo contest this year including the magnificent Great Horned Owl image above. It will take some time to sort though all of them and choose winners in our six categories. We'll announce the top finishers just before the next GBBC. In the meantime, enjoy the more than 2,000 images posted to the GBBC online photo gallery.


Can't Get Enough Bird Info?

The GBBC may be over but there are plenty of ways to keep the bird information flowing. Consider subscribing to one or more of the free electronic newsletters available from partners and programs that host the GBBC.
 

The Next GBBC is
February 12-15, 2016


Eager bird watchers. Shuvendu Das, India, 2015 GBBC

Keep Counting!

We hear the same lament every year: "I had some some really great birds just before (or after) the GBBC and I couldn't report them."

Yes, you can! Now that you've contributed to the Great Backyard Bird Count, you can report your birds anytime, anywhere by using eBird. Just use the same user name and password you set up for the GBBC and the data entry process is the same.

You'll be in good company. eBird collects millions of sightings each month from around the world. Those observations have been put to use in generating the State of the Birds reports for the U.S. Department of the Interior and for targeting specific species for conservation based on when and where they will be appearing during migration. Your birds matter!

Slate-throated Redstart, Kenny Frisch, Costa Rica, 2015 GBBC

New Birders Fledged

This year we launched the Pledge to Fledge program as part of the GBBC--the idea being to bring a friend, a family member, or a coworker along during your count and introduce them to the wonder of bird watching.

Thank you to the 236 people who took the pledge!

Fledging a new birder can happen anytime, not just during the GBBC. Share your passion year round!

Many thanks to our longtime sponsor Wild Birds Unlimited and to supporters who donated prizes for future winners of the 2015 photo contest and for our random drawing from among all GBBC participants: Droll Yankees, Woodlink, and Clothing Arts' Pick-Pocket Proof Pants. Take a look at the prize page. But most of all:


Thank YOU
See you next year!


Tufted Titmouse, Michelle Jaskot, Virginia, 2015 GBBC
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a nonprofit membership institution interpreting and conserving the earth's biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds. Visit the Cornell Lab website at www.birds.cornell.edu
Audubon is dedicated to protecting birds and other wildlife and the habitat that supports them. Our national network of community-based nature centers and chapters, scientific and educational programs, and advocacy on behalf of areas sustaining important bird populations, engage millions of people of all ages and backgrounds in conservation. www.audubon.org
Bird Studies Canada administers regional, national, and international research and monitoring programs that advance the understanding, appreciation, and conservation of wild birds and their habitats. We are Canada's national body for bird conservation and science, and we are a non-governmental charitable organization. www.birdscanada.org

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