GBBC eNews: The Count is Underway!

GBBC eNewsletter

Yellow dots on the map show where checklists are being submitted in real time. GBBC is Underway Around the World The Great Backyard Bird Count has officially begun! We're on a record-breaking pace with 928 species already reported by mid-day on the first day. The previous species record for the entire four-day count was just over 600! Now is the time to be part of this massive citizen-science effort. Join tens of thousands of fellow bird watchers from around the world by counting birds and submitting your checklists to www.birdcount.org. Simply watch birds for at least 15 minutes at any location and tally the number of each bird species you see. Submit a new checklist for each day and for each new location. You can count in as many locations as you like. Just be sure to enter a new list for each site. Here are a few things that you can do to help: Forward this message to friends, neighbors, and relatives asking them to participate. Every checklist counts!   Send a GBBC eCard to encourage others to start counting.   Fill your bird feeders to attract more visitors to your yard.   Charge your camera batteries so you can capture the perfect picture and upload it for the GBBC photo contest, or snap a quick shot to document a rare species. Check out the 2013 gallery so far!   If you’d like more information about the birds you might see in your area at this time of year (in the U.S. and Canada), download a printable tally sheet.  Check this out: Jim Carpenter, CEO of Wild Birds Unlimited, longtime sponsor of the GBBC, talked about the count this morning on the network program Fox & Friends, and he brought some feathered friends with him! GBBC Participant Perks Drawing Prizes Don't forget to check out some of the great prizes you could win just by taking part in the GBBC. We'll award prizes in a random drawing from among all participants. See the prizes. Related Articles: Attracting Michigan Songbirds http://bit.ly/A7TrNc Why should we care about birds? http://goo.gl/4iD8a Who Bird Watches http://goo.gl/vX9j5 How to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count goo.gl/p5mwc Book Recommendations for Michigan Birdwatchers http://bit.ly/x5t2gv Most common winter birds in Michigan http://bit.ly/ywWdfL

Behind the Scenes  As bird sightings pour in at a record-breaking pace from around the world, our technical team is working hard to help keep all systems up and running smoothly. Some participants may have had trouble connecting to the website or signing in Friday morning. The team has resolved these issues, so if you encountered a problem before, please try again. Tips for signing in: • Remember that usernames and passwords are case sensitive. Double check your capital and lower case letters. • If you're not yet signed in, you'll see two options after you click on the "Submit Your Checklists" button. Select the one you want—to either create a new account or sign in to an existing one. Thank you for your patience and understanding! We are thrilled to see so many people participating from around the world. As the count continues, if you have trouble connecting to the website, please try again another time. You can submit your data any time during the count and afterward until March 1. Visit Wild Birds Unlimited, a sponsor of the Great Backyard Bird Count! Keep up with us on Facebook and talk about birds year round!  Get Your Common Birds Poster If you're new to birding, start learning a few of the most common species first. Download and print our PDF Guide to Common Birds. This poster features beautiful watercolors of some of the most common and easily identified birds found in the U.S. and Canada, and is a great way to start learning about common North American birds.