The Great Backyard Bird Count: Creating a global snapshot of bird distribution

Monitoring the status of the world’s 10,000 or so bird species is a huge challenge for bird conservationists. Twice a year, in February and October, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society summon bird lovers around the world to help with this task by counting and reporting the birds around them.

Every year for four days in February, birders unite worldwide for the Great Backyard Bird Count. Unlike the Christmas Bird Count, which is focused on the Americas, the Great Backyard Bird Count involves tens of thousands of people reporting from far flung corners of the globe.

Anyone from novice to expert can participate by birding in their own backyards or anywhere in the world, and entering their observations into eBird or Merlin, adding to these collections of worldwide, on-line records of bird observations. These sightings provide a real-time snapshot of bird distribution around the globe, which helps ornithologists better assess global bird populations before one of the major seasonal migrations.

This year stormy weather in Nome throughout the February 1619 count period made birding difficult. Usually, I drive the plowed roads and ski or snowshoe to search places birds are likely to frequent. This year I didn’t venture far afield. However, by birding literally in our backyards, a few of us managed to document most of the expected winter species and one exciting surprise.

Large flocks of willow ptarmigan were seen regularly along the Beam Road before and after the count. However, during the count they were only heard and not seen (that counts!) at Banner Creek and Dexter. Rock ptarmigan are also in the area this winter, but mostly at higher elevations, and they were not seen or heard during the count.

While snowshoeing near Dexter, I had an exciting surprise when an immature American goshawk flushed out of the willows. The goshawk is a forest bird that occasionally ventures out into shrub habitats. They regularly occur in the spruce forests of the Council area and in cottonwood stands along the Pilgrim River, but this was only the second time I had seen one around Nome. The American goshawk will be the subject of the next Birder’s Notebook.

Common ravens are one bird that appears to enjoy a storm. The resident Banner Creek pair used the strong gusts and updrafts to launch into playful repertoires of aerobatic maneuvers. It’s courtship time for ravens, and alternately they huddled together in the lee of the willows, touching bills and preening each other’s faces.

Very few black-capped chickadees seem to be wintering in the Nome area this year. But Dan Reed spotted one in Dexter during the count, bouncing over the willows to his bird feeder.

American dippers can be found reliably along local streams where open water occurs throughout the winter. Even in stormy weather it was easy to find the pair that winters at Banner Creek. They dove into the wind-whipped water and surfaced with fish and invertebrates, undeterred by the wind and blowing snow.

McKay’s buntings and snow buntings are winter regulars along the coast where they feed on beach grass seeds, and in Nome where they visit bird feeders. Carol Gales and Jim Dory enjoyed large mixed flocks of buntings that dropped in to visit the feeder right outside their kitchen window.

Pine grosbeaks are irregular winter visitors from the spruce forests to the east. In the last month they have been unusually abundant in the Nome area. Flocks of up to 40 of these long-tailed, robin-sized songbirds with undulating flight have been spotted. Small flocks passed through Banner Creek every day during the count. I don’t recall ever seeing so many grosbeaks in the Nome area before.

Dan Reed reported several flocks of up to 11 redpolls in Dexter. Redpolls too have had a greater presence than usual in the Nome area this winter.

At least two other species are here this winter, but we didn’t find them during the count––the downy woodpecker and the gyrfalcon. A female downy woodpecker that makes periodic visits to our suet feeder appeared a few days before and after the count. Gyrfalcons regularly winter here and at least two different birds have been seen occasionally along the Beam Road this winter.

Monitoring birds is an essential part of protecting them. Citizen science projects such as the Great Backyard Bird Count, Global Big Day in October and the Christmas Bird Count make important contributions to the understanding of global bird populations.

If you are interested in learning more about the birds of this region or perhaps helping with these projects in the future, consider joining a birding field trip this spring.

UAF Northwest Campus in Nome offers three birding workshops for the public during spring migration.

Local bird guide Carol Gales leads these excellent all-day birding field trips along each of the three main roads out of Nome.

The dates are May 25, June 1 and June 8.

For more information or to register, contact NWC: 907-443-2201 or email nwc.info@alaska.edu

Photo by Jim Dory OUT THE KITCHEN WINDOW— McKay’s buntings and snow buntings (right front and middle back) are chowing down on bird seed at a feeder right outside of Carol Gales and Jim Dory’s kitchen window. Buntings are regular winter residents along the Norton Sound coast where they feed on beach grass seeds. They come readily to bird feeders and prefer millet.

Photo by Kate Persons PINE GROSBEAK— A male pine grosbeak balances on a branch while feeding on willow buds. Pine grosbeaks are generally birds of the spruce forest, but in winter sometimes they erupt into surrounding shrub habitats. These long-tailed, robin-sized songbirds have been unusually abundant in the Nome area in recent weeks. *

Photo by Kate Persons DIVING DIPPER— An American dipper takes the plunge into icy water in pursuit of small fish and aquatic invertebrates. North America’s only aquatic songbird is a year-round resident on the Seward Peninsula and can be found along local streams where open water occurs throughout the winter.