GBBC is Back!
2017 sees the 5th year of India’s participation in the Great (Global) Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). GBBC India is the Indian implementation of the global Great Backyard Bird Count, which runs for 4 days every February. Indian birders have participated in the GBBC since the event went worldwide in 2013.
In 2016 India was the 3rd biggest contributor of checklists worldwide, and the number 1 for species recorded. Over 1,100 birders submitted nearly 8,000 lists with close to 6,000 hours of birdwatching effort.
Why Participate?
It’s fun! But there is a serious aspect as well. These annual snapshots of bird populations help answer a variety of important questions, including how birds are distributed across the country, how they are affected by changes in habitat and weather, and whether populations and distributions might be changing from year to year. In addition, you can use the opportunity of this event to get others involved in birding, to reach out to the general public, or even to run a local or regional project!
Great Backyard Bird Count 2017
You can help us beat all of this in 2017 by getting involved:
- Participate by birding anywhere for at least 15 minutes between Friday 17 and Monday 20 February, and submit your observations to eBird
- Take some friends with you, consider joining a public bird walk, or arrange one yourself, maybe give a talk for a local school or club
It’s easy to take part – count birds from your home, local park, work or school, or just wherever you spot a bird!
Campus Bird Count 2017
As a major part of India’s contribution to GBBC, we organise the Campus Bird Count. Educational, government, research, training and company premises provide a valuable habitat for birds – 56% of species seen on GBBC 2016 were found in such campuses – as well as potential birdwatchers of the future!
In 2016, 138 campuses from 19 states took part. We’re looking for more in 2017 – if yours does not appear in the list of campuses, or if you know of a campus that might want to participate, let us know.
New to eBird?
See our infographic for everything you need to know about getting started.
Getting Started with eBird Infographic © Bird Count India
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